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12/15/2011
CITIGRASS: ONE HIT WONDERIN' CD RELEASE

CITIGRASS is proud to announce the release of our new CD, "ONE HIT WONDERIN'" 

You've... More

7/27/2011
Just back from the Grey Fox Music Festival!

It was fantastic.  Lot's of pickin' on and off the stage.  Great to see... More

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Citigrass: One Hit Wonderin
Citigrass: Serpent in the Grass

Bio


GOT BLUEGRASS?

The current all-star lineup was formed by banjoist/founder Sandy Israel, who pioneered the concept of Citigrass by combining the speed and virtuosity of bluegrass with the rebel yell of rock and roll. Sandy's road to banjo nirvana took him from the D.C. punk scene to performing on the crowded streets of Tokyo, and finally to Citigrass Headquarters in Brooklyn, where he leads one of the largest and most active banjo teaching studios in the New York area.

BAND MEMBERS:

SANDY ISRAEL - BANJO & VOCALS
Sandy Israel is the visionary and spokesperson behind CITIGRASS. A top banjo innovator and teacher, Sandy set out to create a hot musical blend of bluegrass & rock with an urban twist; possessing an eye for talent he hand picked the members in the group. His intention from the start has been to innovate, cultivate and brand the band by forming a new genre "urban bluegrass."

 

 

 

KENJI BUNCH- FIDDLE, VIOLA & VOCALS
Fiddler Kenji Bunch wears many different hats. Mild-mannered Juilliard-trained classical violist and composer by day, Kenji unleashes musical mayhem at night with his dead on Johnny Cash impersonation, love of overblown 80's pop tunes, and general inclination toward the absurd. When no one was looking, he wrote two symphonies, an opera, and a whole stack of other music that has been recorded numerous times and performed by over thirty orchestras on six continents. Also a highly sought after arranger, he's worked, performed, and recorded with the likes of Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, The Who, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Widespread Panic, Ornette Coleman, and Bobby McFerrin, to name a few.

 

NOAH CHASE - LEAD VOCALS, MANDOLIN & GUITAR
Mandolinist and lead vocalist Noah Chase is also front-man for the veteran rock band Soulfarm and has played and recorded with Perry Farrell, Bruce Hornsby, and Shawn Colvin among many others. Noah's pure gold voice and tremendous stage presence are well known on stages up and down the East Coast, and has achieved near-legendary status in Israel, where he first emerged as a musician. Noah often incorporates elements of his unique background into the band, infusing the strings with hypnotic djembe beats and Middle-Eastern inspired vocalizing.

 

TIM KIAH - UPRIGHT BASS, VOCALS
Versatile bassist Tim Kiah is yet another musical shape-shifter. With quite possibly the fastest fingers legally allowed on an upright bass, Tim is an active performer on the NYC jazz circuit, collaborating and touring the world with top jazz players including Ravi Coltrane, Ron Carter, and Roy Nathanson. Also a composer and dedicated music educator, Tim has received a grant from Chamber Music America. Regulars at Citigrass live shows learn early on to buckle in and hold on for dear life when Timmy gets that sparkle in his eye and unleashes the wrath of his "doghouse" bass.

 

JAMES KERR - DOBRO, GUITAR, VOCALS
James Kerr, Dobro, plays and sings the old songs the way they used to be played. Each twang of his resophonic guitar is an antique relic from a simpler time gone by. James was a top prize winner at the Roxbury Flatpicking Guitar Contest and his debut solo recording, "Atmosphere," has received extensive airplay on folk radio programs nationwide. He has become an in-demand dobro and steel player on the New York scene, and also plays and tours with progressive Newgrass outfit The Five Deadly Vemons.

 

LEAH LATELLA - UKULELE, GUITAR, VOCALS
Soulful songstress Leah Latella is a North Carolina native filled with southern charm. Her strong and clear vocals add a new and beautiful layer to the once all male band. Leah grew up singing in theatre, the pew at church and harmonizing with her father on car rides to school. She got her taste of New York when she sang the national anthem in Yankee Stadium with The UNC Loreleis and moved to New York after graduation. With ukulele and guitar she writes catchy melodies for Citigrass and her original folk band, PartyFolk.