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Mountain Heart
Mountain Heart is the band that has been fearlessly revolutionizing the
way acoustic music can be presented and played. The band's name has
been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence in acoustic music circles
since the group's creation in 1999. Widely known throughout the music
industry for continually redefining the cutting edge, the band has
gained legions of fans both as a result of their superlative
musicianship, and more notably, their incomparably exciting live
performances. As one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever
assembled, Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or
been nominated for multiple Grammys, ACM, CMA, and IBMA Awards. They
have appeared on the revered stage of the Grand Ole Opry in excess of
100 times and have shared the stage with acts ranging from Lynyrd
Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Brad
Paisley to Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Travis Tritt, Yonder Mountain
Stringband, LeAnn Rimes, and Patty Loveless.
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band
Winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s
prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2003, the Kenny
and Amanda Smith Band combines gutsy, heartfelt vocals,
brilliant instrumental talents and a powerful, contemporary
sense of song choice and arrangement into one of the most
compelling new sounds in bluegrass today. Born of the intensely
personal musical and romantic connection between Kenny and
Amanda Smith, the band shares an all-too rare sense of intimacy
and cohesion where each musician feels an almost telepathic
connection. Musicians call it being in the groove, where the
group collectively accents each beat in precisely the same way.
Whatever it’s called, this band has it in spades. Originally
from Nine Mile, IN, Kenny Smith is widely considered one of the
most important and influential flatpicking-style guitarists of
his generation. A two-time IBMA Guitarist of the Year award
winner, his professional credits include 6 years with the
popular Lonesome River Band and an exceptional solo CD,
Studebaker, released on Sugar Hill Records in 1997.
Valerie Smith
Valerie Smith has a storyteller's sensibility and timing and a singer's soulful vocals that leave her audience waiting to hear the next song.
—California Bluegrass Association, CBAontheweb.org
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. And when that tree is anchored in the fertile hills and dales of west Missouri, you can bet it will be strong enough to withstand a sudden prairie storm, yet beautiful enough to take away your breath when silhouetted by a vivid sunset.