Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

NASHVILLE BLUEGRASS BAND

Modern bluegrass band with strong traditional roots, formed '84. Original members: Alan O'Bryant (banjo, vocals), Pat Enright (guitar, vocals), Mike Compton (mandolin, vocals) and Mark Hembree (bass and vocals). O'Bryant, from North Carolina, moved to Nashville '74; previously worked with Doc Watson, Peter Rowan and Bill Monroe; successful songwriter with 'Those Memories Of You' a top ten country hit for The Trio (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt). Compton was born in Meridian MS, moved to Nashville '76, played with banjo player Hubert Davis. Enright, raised in Indiana, started playing bluegrass in early '70s with Phantoms of the Opry in California; moved to Nashville '74 and teamed with O'Bryant; he moved to Boston '78 to join Tasty Licks, a band that also incl. Bela Fleck (album Anchored To The Shore '79 on Rounder); joined Dreadful Snakes '79, returned to Nashville. Hembree was raised in Appleton WI; joined Monroe Doctorine '77 with Tony Trischka, Danny Weiss and Charles Sawtelle; joined Bill Monroe's band '79 for five years. All four worked Nashville clubs; Fleck prod. their first album My Native Home '85 on Rounder; they added Stuart Duncan on fiddle, who'd toured and recorded with Alison Brown, California's Lost Highway and Larry Sparks and went on to be a session player (Alan Jackson, Nanci Griffith, Dolly Parton etc). The band toured as far as China '86, Middle East '88; an accident '88 in Roanoke VA wrecked their bus and led to Hembree leaving the band, Compton following a few months later; Gene Libbea and Roland White joined '88 and NBB signed with Sugar Hill. They are all acclaimed instrumentalists and singers; Duncan released solo album on Rounder '92, named Instrumental Recording of the Year by International Bluegrass Music Association, also named best Fiddle Player '90--96 by IBMA. Other albums incl. Idle Time '87, To Be His Child '87, The Original Bluegrass Band '88 on Rounder; New Moon Rising (with Rowan) '88, The Boys Are Back In Town '90, Home Of The Blues '91, Waitin' For The Hard Times To Go '93 and Unleashed '95 on Sugar Hill.