Lessee, Erin said:
> ... yes, Nancy, you've
> stumbled upon a well-known, highly-regarded bluegrass institution who,
> despite their fine recordings, probably wouldn't be a household
> name if not for their relentless touring. Which actually does relent
> during the school year, since Ron Thomasson (the frontman/mando player)
> is a high school principal (Do I have this right, Jon?)
I dunno, though I suppose I could ask. He's been a teacher forever, and may
have been kicked upstairs since the last I knew. I hasten to add that this
is a bit misleading, though, as we're talking about rural Ohio schools. Ron
and his wife raise horses (she organizes shows), so he spends a fair amount
of time every day pitching hay.
> Suzanne
> Thomas (the dark-haired singer/guitar/banjo player) has carved out a very
> repectable solo career for herself, mentioned frequently on this list.
Well... she made a very good solo album last year, but it's her first one.
Prior to joining the Squad, she worked for a long time with the Hotmud
Family, a sort of old-time/bluegrass band that had a couple of records out
on Flying Fish, and a couple of records on a local label before that (now,
there's some prime candidates for CD reissue). She and C. E. Jones (Jones &
Leva) had a duet act called the Kentucky Warblers going for a while, too, in
between, plus she also played in a country-rock bar band between the demise
of the Hotmuds and her recruitment by the Squad. IMO, she adds quite a bit
to the band.
> Though the entire band has incredible chops, they are often noted more for
> Thomasson's ingenius and hilarious between-song banter.
Opinions about their chops vary somewhat, I'd say, and on a member-by-member
basis as well - not that I've ever heard anyone dis Suzanne's, I hasten to
add (and that's all I'm going to add) - but there's no doubt that Ron's
storytelling, or whatever you want to call it, is front and center.
>> Bluegrass usually makes me nervous,
>
> I think we should explore this further, Nancy.
Forget exploration; we need an intervention.
Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
