Greenwillis has been playing music for three years focusing on songwriting and creating arrangements of traditional songs and have just released their second album "Talking In Silence" to excellent reviews.
They performed at Walnut Valley Festival #36 in Winfield, Kansas. They also appeared on Michael Johnathon's Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.
Band members are Rachel Linn (16 years old) – lead/harmony vocals, mandolin; Derek Linn (20 years old) – lead/harmony vocals, guitar; Lukas Pool (18 years old) – harmony vocals, banjo; and Kathy Sutterfield – bass.
Rachel Linn drives the group with soulful, powerfully sweet vocals and plays mandolin. Many compare her vocal clarity to that of Alison Krauss or Emmylou Harris. She has been playing with her brother Derek at Mountain View’s Ozark Folk Center since the summer of 2003, and she also plays fiddle.
Lukas Pool, an exceptionally talented banjo player, is a regular performer in and around Mountain View and placed first in the 2005 Gulf Coast Bluegrass Banjo Contest in Florida. An advanced picker in both the three-finger and claw-hammer styles, Lukas—also a guitarist—plays shows at the Ozark Folk Center State Park and dazzles guests from around the world at his family’s bed and breakfast The Inn at Mountain View in Mt. View, Arkansas.
A sophomore at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Derek Linn plays a solid, balanced guitar and adds a steady rhythm to each song. His peaceful, vibrant vocals have been weaving vocal harmonies with his sister for the past four years.
Kathy Sutterfield (bass), Derek and Rachel’s aunt, resides in Mountain View and is a well-experienced multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She regularly plays banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and bass, teaches and plays at the Ozark Folk Center, and is a member of Arkansas acoustic bands Patchwork, Bugshuffle, Wildcat Road Rambler, and Buffalo Gals.
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The last time we reviewed this group, they were known as Out of the Blue Band, but they got notice from another band of the same name that had it trademarked and so they changed their name. If you need to be reminded, the band is made up of a brother and sister (Derek Linn, who writes several of their songs, sings, and plays guitar, and Rachel Linn, who sings and plays mandolin and violin; she also wrote one of the songs this album), their aunt, Kathy Sutterfield, who plays bass and sings some harmony, and Lukas Pool, who plays claw-hammer and three-finger banjo, guitar, and kazoo. Brandon Alanis sits in on drums for a couple tracks. The album was recorded at Blue Chair Recording Studio, which is fast becoming one of the more popular places in Arkansas to record.
Greenwillis goes a bit against the grain for a traditional bluegrass band, as they tend to do a lot of original stuff as well as some traditional tunes, and although they can kick it up as fast as any group, they like to ease back and do more balladic music. They played recently at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, where they were given great accolades for their performance. Rachel is only 16 but has a powerfully sweet and clear voice. Derek too has a clean, strong voice and when the two harmonize, it can take you away. Aunt Kathy keeps a steady but subtle bass beat going and Lukas is as good a banjo picker as you are likely to hear this side of Nickel Creek. Check the Sound listings to see if they might be playing at a venue near you.
- Doug Treadway, "News of Record," Nightflying Entertainment Guide
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