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. Even now having played many of the biggest stages in bluegrass, East Nash Grass can still be found every Monday night performing in that same east side bar. 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.
The lineup includes bassist Jeff Picker (Ricky Skaggs, Sarah Jarosz, Nickel Creek), Harry Clark on mandolin (The Dan Tyminski Band, The Wooks) who received IBMA’s Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year Award last September, Cory Walker on banjo (David Grier, Tim O’Brien, Jason Carter), vocalist James Kee (longtime host of the American Legion’s Bluegrass Wednesdays), dobro player Gaven Largent (Dailey & Vincent, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper) and fiddle player Maddie Denton (2016 Grand Master Fiddle Champion + State Champion of 14 States.)
Now the band is gearing up to release their new album Last Chance to Win August 18th via Mountain Fever Records and today Glide is excited to premiere the standout track “Papa’s on the Housetop.” The song is a quick-picked banjo-lead romp that captures that in-the-round bluegrass energy we love to see. Fun lyrics that feel playful give way to an impressive fiddle solo, following by a burst of mandolin, and a down and dirty dobro throwdown, all topped off by a bouncy bass. In other words, this is a delightful real deal bluegrass effort that feels like you are stepping into a backstage jam circle hosted by a group of primo players.
The group describes the inspiration to record this old timey tune:
“We found this song via a recommended Spotify playlist. Leroy Carr had an early 20th century recording of this tune with just vocal and piano. The subject matter really spoke to us, as all of our papas have been on the housetop a time or two.”
LISTEN:
