Yonder Mountain String Band

Bluegrass music may be one of America’s “traditional” styles, but at its heart it has always been wild and spontaneous. The style demands every ounce of facility and intent that each performer can muster— it fires on all cylinders or none at all. Few bands do it as well as East Nash Grass. An ensemble of standout players from a city known for the quality of its musicians, East Nash Grass came by its name and reputation honestly, honing their performance chops night after night on a tiny stage on Music City’s east side. Dedication to a group’s roots and a commitment to hard work are earmarks of great Nashville bands of all kinds, and East Nash Grass exemplifies what it means to be a bluegrass band from Nashville. The band that would become East Nash Grass began to take shape by chance, as a weekly bluegrass night at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge. The gig leadership changed hands and players came and went over several years, and what started as a loose collection of pickers gradually solidified into a committed group of dedicated bandmates. They quickly became one of the top young bands in bluegrass music, whose members have been highly sought-after as side musicians for the genre’s top stars and hottest bands. Today, whether it’s bluegrass Monday at Dee’s, or the hallowed stage of the Ryman Auditorium, East Nash Grass brings swagger, staggering abilities, and high energy to every performance. It’s natural to assume that a band born in a bar would be willing to take risks, and in the case of East Nash Grass, you’d be right. Like birds in a flock, each keenly aware of one another’s every move, the pickers in East Nash Grass fly in tight formation, no matter the twists and turns the moment demands. Their incredible skill as an ensemble makes it look easy, and their chemistry makes it fun to watch. Bluegrass music tends to fall on a spectrum. On one end is the rough and tumble, high-energy style exemplified by the pioneers of the genre. On the other is a highly polished studio-ready approach, one in which each note is executed with clinical perfection. It’s not easy to balance such precision while being musically joyful and in the moment, but East Nash Grass does it, staking their position squarely in the middle of this spectrum, executing at the highest levels of proficiency with a sense of ease and humor that only comes from hundreds of hours making music together. “Out of the Wilds of East Nashville came this band of ringers, each of them playing in National high profile Bluegrass bands. The sound they make when they play together rivals that of any of their main gigs. Who knows, but I heard them as a finely tuned machine that could survive on its own. The National high profilers better hang on tight! East Nash Grass is on the move.” — Jerry Douglas East Nash Grass’s collective resume rings with high profile award wins, nominations, and prominent gigs. Every member is an accomplished professional in their own right, and each would be a featured musician in any band. With James Kee on guitar, Cory Walker on banjo, Harry Clark on mandolin, Gaven Largent on dobro, Maddie Denton on fiddle, and Jeff Partin on bass, East Nash Grass is a band of all-stars, without question. But unlike many all-star bands that come together for one album or concert, this is a band in the true sense. Each member contributes their energy and their creative work to the group. It’s a great advantage for a band to have more than one writer, as original songs are an important commodity for any group, but for each member to be an accomplished writer is very special, and that is just the case among the members of East Nash Grass. In this band, everyone writes; another thing that sets East Nash Grass apart. East Nash Grass is a band that stands alone as a unit of monster players and performers, top professionals, and committed bandmates. It’s clear that the sky is the limit for this group as they continue their ascent into the highest levels of bluegrass music. - Jeremy Darrow