Album Notes

Not only is award-winning singer-songwriter Korby Lenker a real good picker, but he also sings with a voice as smooth as Tennessee molasses. Imagine a more honest Roy Rogers. A Gillian Welch with a hot-picking edge. This acoustic crooner brings his high-lonesome singing from the Northwestern-most county in the US of A. With an ambitious sweep of instruments-guitar, mandolin, fiddle and pennywhistle among them-Korby blends honest songcraft with the subtle ferocity of traditional old-time and bluegrass music. An engaging performer, his natural penchant for play translates into an uncanny ability to connect with his audience: expect to hear tragic ballads, playful fiddle tunes, fast flat-picking, and a lot of great singing from this genuinely original voice from the Pacific Northwest.

A sample of what the good people are saying:

"As a flatpickin' guitarist, he's every bit as talented as more veteran players".
--indie-music.com

"At 23, Korby Lenker seems to have learned a fair amount of the artistry of combining storytelling and music. His debut CD 'First Takes' proves this point with style. As lead singer and songwriter for the Bellingham band The Barbed Wire Cutters, the curly-haired Idaho boy has proven he's got a future in music with this solo album."
--The Every Other Weekly

"Korby has got to be one of my favorite pickers-his musicianship is so much deeper than his young age suggests, and he sings with that voice. A true wool-sock warbler, he's one to watch."
--Michael Grigoni, of The Fast Hand Duo

"If you've seen him live in town at one of the many venues he's graced, you know this cat is talented. He's a tight-'n'-fast picker with a penchant for a good lyrical twist, both of which show up in spades on First Takes."
--What's Up Magazine