SASSAGRASS

One of a handful of young bluegrass bands, Sassagrass' sound is unique to itself in it's approach to acoustic music,  something that is new and delightful. The players are: the veteran Billy Constable on the banjo, guitar and vocals, Zack Blatter on upright bass, Mark Schimick on mandolin or whatever and vocals, and Ryan Eversole on fiddle and vocals. This band has a sound that is at once born from a rich musical tradition but on the other hand is wildly enigmatic. Their love for tradition and true ingenuity is fueled by their respect for music past and present.

BILLY CONSTABLE has been a shining light in this band since its conception and is at the center of its bluegrass sound. He began playing guitar professionally as a youngster with bluegrass great CHARLIE MOORE (singer/songwriter). He went on to play in Douglas Dillard's newly formed "post Dillards" bluegrass band THE DOUG DILLARD BAND from Hollywood which featured other great players as BYRON BERLINE and occasionals like VASSAR CLEMENTS and SAM BUSH. Billy took a break from the road to work on his banjo skills and played in his family's band THE CONSTABLES while living in California.  He later had the opportunity to tour with two more bluegrass greats, KENNY BAKER (vetran fiddler from Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys) and the late JOSH GRAVES (long time dobro player from Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Boys). Constable in more recent years began to carry his banjo into more jam-oriented situations like ACOUSTIC FORUM (from NY) and on occasion with New England's legendary MAX CREEK.  He toured extensively and recorded with the psychedelic HYPNOTIC CLAMBAKE and with  THE LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE. He has appeared on many shows with friends LEFTOVER SALMON and was also a featured guest on a handful of STRING CHEESE INCIDENT shows including one of their recent albums "Carnival 99". He is also a member of  the seasonal but legendary BIG DADDY BLUEGRASS BAND. Billy's approach to the banjo is firmly rooted in Appalachian string music. However, it can be deceptively eclectic. Alongside his musical abilities on the guitar, mandolin and violin, his technical mastery of the banjo and his innate ability to make himself feel completely at home in any musical situation puts him in the elite class of being among the world's best musicians.

MARK SCHIMICK (mak-shi-`mak).....a co-founderof Sassagrass is originally from Chicago. He was introduced to the high lonesome sound of Appalachian mountain music as a child on family trips to Virginia. He moved to the high country in 1992, bought a mandolin a few years later. Through hard work and perseverance he is emerging as one of the best up and coming musicians on the scene today. Mark has been honing his performance skills over the past two years playing in the LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE. This has afforded him the opportunity to play with some of the best musicians the world has to offer (i.e. TONY RICE, VASAAR CLEMENTS). This allowed him to witness firsthand and learn the "state of the art"  acoustic music.

ZACK BLATTER, Upright bass player hails from Lexington, Virginia and is Sassagrass' newest member. He grew up around the bustling bluegrass scene of his home town that includes people like Will Lee from Magraw Gap and James Leva who now heads the group Memory Theatre. He also helped start bluegrass band Walker's Run while he was studying music and art at The University of Virginia. The band toured sucessfully on the east coast and shared the stage with many greats including the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Zack plays the mandolin and the mando-cello as well. He also enjoys photography.

RYAN EVERSOLE grew up in Southeastern Kentucky. He started learning music at an early age, playing piano in his church on occasion. He took an interest in the mountain music of his homeland in his late teens. He has immersed himself in that genre ever since. This however does not distract him from the many musical influences that helped shape his musical interests. The sounds of swing guitar, Jerry Garcia, Stephane Grappelli, and classical violinist Jascha Heifetz have helped to shape his approach to playing. In his process of learning, Ryan has had the priveledge of studying under J.B. PRINCE who is known in the bluegrass world as a true master of American fiddle music. Ryan has since become a champion fiddler in his own right winning several competitions and placing third in the world's largest fiddler's convention in Galax, Virginia in 2002. This proves to be the beginning of a very promising career in music.

Sassagrass' music is on a timeless wavelength.  The band upholds the spirit and integrity of the music while using pure tradition as the springboard to their own creativity. The sound created by this band can be enjoyed by new musical enthusiasts as well as your "roots music" conniseurs.

Out of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina comes a band that truly represents the next generation of acoustic and bluegrass music. Music to carry into the next millenium.