Peter Feldmann and the Very Lonesome Boys

Peter Feldmann celebrated 50 years in bluegrass a couple of years ago, and he's played with some of the best in that span. Originally from Switzerland, he has long been a vital part of the bluegrass and old time music scene, based nearby in the Santa Barbara area. He is a talented multi-instrumentalist on fiddle, guitar, banjo, and mandolin. Along with many recording and performing credits, he has released several instructional CDs and he is a music instructor and a bluegrass music historian. Peter did a fine show in our series back in 1997 with Richard Green and Tom Sauber, and he received the "2008 Music Legend Award" - Topanga Banjo/Fiddle Association of Southern California. He has played in many different configurations over the years.

The Very Lonesome Boys have been around for over ten years and because they all perform in other groupings, the opportunities to hear them are not nearly enough. With this band, Peter sings and plays a lot of wonderful mandolin and guitar. David West and Tom Lee were both founding members of the Cache Valley Drifters, one of the all-time great California bluegrass bands that continues today with occasional fine shows, though Tom and David left the band years ago. David is an outstanding banjo player and guitarist, and an equally good singer and songwriter. Tom Lee is fun to watch and great to hear on upright bass, and he sings backing vocals and an occasional lead as well. Their newest member is Blaine Sprouse, a master fiddler originally from Virginia, who has played with Jimmy Martin, filled in for a couple of months as one of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, and has performed with Charlie Louvin, Jim and Jesse and others. He also currently plays with the Peter Rowan Band. This ensemble mixes a few originals with a wide variety of music, primarily in "traditional" bluegrass style, heavily influenced by old time Appalachian string music. Their repertoire ranges from Elizabethan-era ballads to Appalachian songs and breakdowns; from country blues to modern bluegrass and beyond.

Don't miss these guys!