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Coal Creek Bluegrass Band plays hard-driving traditional bluegrass music. Period. No newgrass. No jamgrass. No call-it-what-you-want-cause-it-sure-ain't-bluegrass. No Sir, this is the real deal: hard-core, high-lonesome, bass-thumping, string-breaking, mountain tenor, Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, old-time, gospel, moonshine-drinking, loving, cheating, fighting, chickens-a-hollering, guitar-picking, mandolin-hammering, banjo-rattling, fiddle-sawing, waltz-time, breakdown music. Every song. Guaranteed. So kick off your shoes, turn up the volume 'till the dog barks, sing along, and... Get in touch with your inner hillbilly!
"Love of the Mountains" captures the excitement of a Coal Creek Bluegrass Band performance. Much of the music was recorded with all the instruments playing together to recreate the sound of a live show. The song selection represents pure, hard-driving bluegrass: eleven selections originally recorded by bluegrass pioneers such as Bill Monroe, Reno and Smiley, and the Osborne Brothers, as well as four original compositions.
Formed in January of 2002, Coal Creek Bluegrass Band delivers an exciting performance of classic and original bluegrass songs. In concert, the band uses a single microphone, adjusting their sound the old-fashion way: by constant motion. This "dance" around the microphone brings singer and instrumentalist to the forefront of the music naturally. The result blends both sound and movement to create a totally authentic presentation of the music.
Coal Creek Bluegrass Band consists of David Goldhammer, vocals & acoustic guitar; Justin Hoffenberg, fiddle; David Vaillancourt, mandolin; Brian Warren, vocals & acoustic bass; and David Patton, vocals & banjo. "Love of the Mountains" was produced by Coal Creek Bluegrass Band, recorded at Lucky Dog Studios and The Ranger Station, and mixed and mastered by Butch Hause at The Ranger Station.
About The Band:
David Goldhammer provides the band's powerful rhythm and red-hot flat-pickin' on his big dreadnought Martin guitar. Dave hails from Denver, Colorado, where his father's family settled in the 1880s. The tallest member of the band, he stands at 6'5" tall (6'8" with the cowboy hat). Dave only listens to non-bluegrass music when he's absolutely forced to, stands in awe of Norman Blake, thinks Tony Rice is a god, and firmly believes that the Lester Flatt G run is about the greatest thing ever devised by man.
David Vaillancourt didn't listen to bluegrass until he moved out West in the early 90's. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he dreamed of playing guitar in a rock band. However, in 1994, while living in Laramie, Wyoming, he picked up the mandolin and started playing bluegrass music. Dave's initial motivation to play bluegrass? He loved idea of hanging out with friends all night, picking tunes and drinking beer! The master of the off-beat (musically speaking), Dave's hard-driving mandolin playing anchors the band's traditional sound.
David Patton wasn't really born in Bucksnot, Kentucky. Actually a native of Bowling Green, David lived for many years in Lyon County, Kentucky, and attended high school in the tiny town of Oneida, far back in the hills of Appalachia. While always a closet bluegrass fan, it wasn't until the spring of 1995 that David began playing banjo. In addition to his hard-driving banjo picking, David is the band's MC, and sings tenor just like he heard it sung back in the hills of Kentucky.
Brian Warren was born and raised in the high plains of Colorado in a town called Calhan, where every day at the local school was a family reunion. Brian's mandolin-picking father-in-law introduced him to all-night jams at a bluegrass festival. Brian plays stand-up bass, and sings lead and occasional bass or baritone harmony. Brian sings the low-lonesome sound, and enjoys singing lead if for no other reason than to stand in the front of the band for a change. Brian isn't the tallest member of the group, but he likes to remind the boys that he "carries the most wood."
Justin Hoffenberg was born in Illinois. By the time he was three, Justin persuaded his family to relocate to Boulder, where they still reside. A junior at Boulder High School, Justin teaches a weekly fiddle class where he works to save other youngsters from the pitfalls of playing classical music. His fiddle style combines the classic techniques of Benny Martin and Chubby Wise, the blues and jazz of Vassar Clements and Darol Anger, and the newer styles of Jason Carter and Stuart Duncan. Before discovering bluegrass, Justin attended more Grateful Dead concerts than any other 15 year old in the known universe.
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