New Essex Bluegrass Band: Members

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Paul Brewer

Paul Brewer Paul sings the lead on most of the songs, and occasionally baritone, and plays rhythm guitar. He first heard bluegrass music in the 1960s, fell in love with it, and has remained devoted to its traditional form ever since. On meeting Terry Hymers in 1989 the two of them formed the Chelmer Valley Bluegrass Band with Phill Morley, the founder of British Bluegrass News, on banjo and later Ivor Ottley on fiddle and Alan Saxby on bass. When this band folded Paul and Terry continued to sing and play together until they joined with Greg Wright to create the New Essex Bluegrass Band.

Paul loves all the bluegrass instruments, and has a collection of Martin guitars as well as a mandolin, Dobro and double bass, but holds steadfastly to the belief that singing is the key to the music. He has attended every Sore Fingers Summer School since it started in 1996, usually joining the singing class, and is thrilled to have met and sung with nearly all his favourite bluegrass singers, including Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin, Keith Little, Kathy Kallick and Lynn Morriss. He shares his extensive knowledge of bluegrass with others at SFSS by acting as tutor to the student bands.

Terry Hymers

Terry Hymers Terry got into Bluegrass at the early age of about 10 due to his father being a banjo picker who styled himself on Earl Scruggs. After hearing a Bill Monroe album on the record player one night, Terry was so taken by Bill's style of playing that he got the 'bug'.... then he got a mandolin! Completely self-taught by ear, playing along to bluegrass albums from the likes of Jim & Jesse, Country Gazette, The Osborne Brothers and obviously Bill Monroe, he made his first public appearance playing with his father at a pub in Essex. Since then Terry has played in a number of bands throughout the Essex region until meeting Paul Brewer at a picking session one evening in 1989 which ultimately led to the forming of The New Essex Bluegrass Band.

Terry plays mandolin and sings tenor harmonies with Paul, and together they reproduce many of the closest brother duet harmonies to be found in bluegrass. Terry is also considered by many as the ideal bluegrass mandolin player, and was described by Frank Wakefield as having a ‘perfect right hand’ during Frank’s last UK tour.

Mike Stanhope

Mike Stanhope Not long after moving to NW Essex from London in the mid nineties, Mike saw the band at a local festival and became an avid fan. He then served a demanding apprenticeship as a hanger-on before being asked to try playing bass and singing harmony. So Mike joined his first band, making a nervous debut at Didmarton in 2000. He now provides the rock-solid and tasteful bass, which is the foundation of the band sound, is the baritone in the trios and sings the occasional lead.

A long-time lover of hard-core bluegrass, Mike has also controversially been known to listen to other kinds of music: mainly these days some 50's & 60's jazz (all those double basses), and as usual, his favourite artist - Bob Dylan. He also now plays bass with the Saffron Walden based acoustic duo The Hoxton Hobos.

Dixon Smith

Dixon Smith American banjo player Dixon Smith began his bluegrass career in Connecticut in 1964, moved to Minnesota in 1968, and began making his living playing bluegrass in 1977. The banjo players who have influenced him the most are Bill Emerson and Allen Shelton, whose drive and bounce he has always admired; other favourites are Earl Scruggs, Don Reno and Eddie Adcock. Bands he has performed in include The Snake Hill Boys (1966-1968), whose guitarist, the late Dick Fegy, toured and recorded throughout the 1970s in The David Bromberg Band; and The Bellville-Smith Bluegrass Band (1968-1970), whose guitarist, Stephen Gammell, toured and recorded in the 1970s with guitarist Leo Kottke. Full-time, professional work came with The String Drifters (1977), who performed for Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion, broadcast live every Saturday on American Public Radio; their bassist, Tim O’Brien, co-founded Hot Rize the following year. Other full-time bands were Haywire (1980-1984), whose dobro player, Mike Cass, toured with Tom T. Hall; Hybrid Grass (1989-1993); and The Blue Drifters (1993-1994). Dixon also worked as a studio musician in Minneapolis recording studios from 1969 through the 1980s. He moved to England in 1994 and joined The New Essex Bluegrass Band in 2006 where he plays banjo and sings lead.

Greg Smith

Greg Smith No relation...
Greg started out as a classical violinist, but got separated from that path at Cambridge University where he became interested in fiddling and was part of several bands including Cobblers Last, the Cambridge Crofters and Camus. To help pay his way through college, Greg played in several Ceilidh bands and took up calling dances. His interest in bluegrass was sparked when he was introduced to Pete Sayers and the Radio Cowboys in the 90s. He joined The New Essex Bluegrass Band in 2005 on the fiddle and is sometimes allowed to sing bass in the gospel numbers. In his spare time from bluegrass, Greg also plays with the Great Eastern Ceilidh Company . If you can ever persuade the band to remove their hats, Greg is easily recognisable as the only one with his own head of hair.

Last updated: Tuesday, 19th December, 2006, GPS