It all started in their early days - his in the San Diego area - hers in Northern California.
After so many independent band, vocal and performing experiences, who would have guessed that Walt Richards and Paula Strong would eventually meet up in San Diego and find all these common musical interests.
Mutual musical friends suggested they expand their repertoire to include cowboy and train songs and introduced them to the Western Music Association in the late 90s. While being members of that very active organization, Walt and Paula have performed and recorded in several formats, starting with:
the Bow Willow Trio (Walt, Paula and Vickie Cottle and Cowboy Poet, John Sedberry),
then back to Trails & Rails, the Duo (Walt and Paula),
followed by Trails & Rails,The Quatro - with Ken Wilcox, and Bruce Huntington on Bass
and wonderful songwriting!
then Trails & Rails,The Quatro, with Ken Wilcox, and Pete Varhola on Bass.
Photos of the various Trails & Rails groups can be seen on the About Us page of the T&R web site.
What fun we've had playing and traveling around with these great musicians.
CDs from all the T&R formats can be found on CDBaby, including Walt's solo CD, "Instrumental Expressions".
Now, in 2011-12, there is an exciting new group - the Trails & Rails Trio: Walt and Paula with bass player extraordinaire, Mike Craig.
Walt and Mike were playing in bands together while in high school; they both taught guitar and banjo in San Diego right after that.
Whatever possessed Mike to relocate to Florida !
Finally returning to San Diego in late 2010, Mike was able to fill in while Trails & Rails bass player, Pete Varhola, was sidelined with medical issues.
When Pete decided he would have to retire from performing for the time being, Mike just kept on 'filling in'.
How lucky for all of us!
Of course there's a lot more to all these stories . . . but for our purposes here, the music is the thing.
Walt and Mike have come up with some astounding Banjo-Bass instrumentals and breaks.
While they have to be seen to be believed, they can be heard on the newest T&R CD, “Off the Beaten Path”, which just came out in April 2012.
The new CD also shows a bit of the expanded repertoire: brand new songs as well as reprises from our various pasts.
Besides instrumental wizardry, the group offers solo, duo and 3-part harmonies as well as the signature variety of the T&R repertoire.
We love All the CDs we've done. We hope you'll enjoy the music with us!
Paula - for Trails & Rails - May 2012
Read more...