Big Horn Mountain Festival - 2011 Featured Musicians

We're excited about the fantastic lineup we put together and our ability to continue presenting great performers at the Big Horn Mountain Festival in Buffalo. We're looking forward to another fun and entertaining event in 2012 and hope to see you there. Click on a band link to the right for more information about our growing list of 2012 performers or scroll through them all!	Houston Jones Sons And Brothers Northern Departure Travers Chandler &Avery County Spring Creek The Jalan Crossland Band Troxel & Krieger Too Wet To Plow
Sound Engineering by Old Blue Sound	Previous BHMF Performers

HOUSTON JONES

Out of the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston Jones is a high-octane Americana quintet. Formed in 2001, the band performs a strong original repertoire that ranges from bluegrass and folk to blues and gospel. Glenn Houston was the original guitarist and founding member of The Waybacks and plays lead acoustic and lead electric guitar for the band. In 2009 he was voted best guitarist by the Northern California Bluegrass Society. Travis Jones presents the distinctive lead vocals for the band and plays rhythm guitar. Henry Salvia will be on keyboard and accordion. Chris Kee, also of Waybacks fame, is a classically trained cellist who has performed and recorded with Peter Rowan and Norah Jones and will be on standup bass and acoustic guitar. Peter Tucker, a Bay Area session performer and former Wayback will handle drums and percussion. With their latest release in 2011 of "Queen of Yesterday" the band has released 7 albums.

Learn more about Houston Jones at www.houstonjones.com.

SONS AND BROTHERS

Colorado’s premier family string band, Sons and Brothers bring a unique energy, instrumental prowess and tight, powerful family harmony to the roots music genre. Rooted solidly in the Mountain West, the band describes its brand of music as “West Grass,” songs with Western and Gospel themes built around bluegrass lead instruments. Each performance features a dynamic contrast of songs and sounds ranging from stirring ballads and powerful gospel numbers to fire breathing instrumentals, poignant stories of family life, mountains, range, and the American West. The band is composed of Mike Wolking (vocals, dobro, banjo and lead guitar), Aaron Wolking (lead vocals and bass) Joe Wolking (vocals, mandolin and fiddle), Fred Wolking (guitar and vocals), and Old Time Country fiddle treasure of Denver, Colorado, Johnny Neill.

Learn more about Sons and Brothers at www.sonsandbrothers.com.

NORTHERN DEPARTURE

Back by popular demand following their first appearance at our 2011 festival, Northern Departure returns from the Puget Sound of Washington and is one of the most exciting young bands to come along since Nickel Creek. In their three short years together as a band they have been taking the Northwest by storm. Derek Gray is the hot young talent on the upright bass, Austin McGregor will command the five string banjo, Nick Dumas will appear on Fiddle and Mandolin, and Chris Luquette will appear on Guitar and Mandolin. Their debut album, "Cleared for Departure", was released in 2010.

Learn more about Northern Departure at www.NorthernDeparture.com.

TRAVERS CHANDLER & AVERY COUNTY

From Galax, Virginia, Travers Chandler and his band are a hard hitting, high lonesome bluegrass band that has become a favorite at festivals across the country. Some describe their music as "your grandfather's bluegrass", hard edged and with a twist of Jimmy Martin. Members of the band are: Travers Chandler on mandolin & vocals, Jessica Smith on upright bass & vocals, Eddie Gill on guitar & vocals, Merl Johnson on fiddle & vocals, and Rick Pardue on banjo & vocals. Their recent CD, "State of Depression", released in 2011, has been receiving rave reviews. Their newest album is set for release in March, 2012.

Learn more about Travers Chandler & Avery County at www.averycountyband.com.

SPRING CREEK

In Colorado’s Wild West, Spring Creek has found its niche in the nexus between the strict traditionalist pickers and the free-wheeling jam bands, setting a high standard for dynamic live performances. Spring Creek still adheres to the old-school bluegrass standard for tasteful picking and vocal harmonies, while stretching out to showcase intricate arrangements and unique songwriting.

Spring Creek is firmly ensconced in the lively musical community of Lyons, Colorado, a mini-vortex of activity and creativity. Founding members Taylor Sims (guitar), Alex Johnstone (mandolin, fiddle), and Chris Elliott (banjo) have recently been joined by Danny Booth on upright bass, also a young veteran of the bluegrass stage. They have just released their fourth album, Hold On Me, with GRAMMY-winning Dobro player Sally Van Meter producing.

Learn more about Spring Creek at www.springcreekbluegrassband.com.

Sponsored by the JOHNSON COUNTY ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL.

THE JALAN CROSSLAND BAND

From Ten Sleep, Wyoming, Jalan Crossland is widely acclaimed by audiences, critics, and his musical peers as one of the country’s premier acoustic guitarists. Along with dozens of regional contest awards, his extraordinary guitar work has earned him National Fingerstyle Championship honors in 1997 and the State Championship Flatpick Title in his home state of Wyoming in 1999. He is a talented vocalist, banjo player, songwriter, and an engaging showman. Shaun Kelley plays bass and Andy Phreaner will be on drums and percussion. The band’s 2007 CD release, Trailer Park Fire & Other Tragedies, has been a smashing success. Jalan’s 5th album, Driftwood Souls, was just released in 2010 and includes his contemporary hit, “Don’t Taze Me Bro’."

Learn more at www.jalancrossland.com.

TROXEL & KRIEGER

From Cody, Wyoming, Jeff Troxel is an award-winning guitarist, composer, songwriter, and teacher with over twenty-five years of professional experience. Jeff was selected state flat-picking champion in his native Wyoming in 2001 and in Utah in 2003. In September of 2003, Jeff won the prestigious National Flat-Pick Guitar Championship at the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, Kansas. His bluegrass-influenced Sarah in the Sunrise won an honorable mention in the John Lennon Songwriters Contest and in 2001 he was awarded a Performing Arts Fellowship for composition from the Wyoming Arts Council. In addition to performing, Troxel is on the faculty at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming and Rocky Mountain College in Billings Montana. He also writes columns for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, and Mel Bay’s online magazine Guitar Sessions. He has written several books for guitar, the most recent titled Flatpicking up the Neck for Mel Bay Publications. Trevor Krieger of Billings, Montana will be joining Jeff on fiddle.

Learn more at www.jefftroxel.com and www.reverbnation.com/trevorkrieger.

TOO WET TO PLOW

Returning to the Big Horn Mountain Festival stage once again, we're proud to present Too Wet to Plow as our opening act. This group has become a local favorite and represents the best in traditional old time string band music. Mark Paninos will appear on fiddle and lead vocals, Lynn Young on Banjo (and, perhaps a variety of other instruments), Scott Gall on mandolin, Courtney Caplan on guitar and harmony, and Bruce Graham on bass.