Cover Story: Hole Lotta Local Music

By Aaron Davis (for Jackson Hole Weekly, JHWeekly.com)Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Writing about and photographing the local music scene over the last six years has been one of the joys of my time in Jackson. It’s my beat, and I dig it whole-heartedly.In 2009, I interviewed ski mountaineering pioneer and mountain musician Bill Briggs. He made a comment about the local scene in 1969 that has stuck with me: “It was rare that you had anyone playing in town that was local. Ray Weeps had about the only band, and I played a little with him.”This week, I sifted through a homegrown list of over sixty local bands, musicians and DJs. Now I wonder, “What will be Teton County’s musical legacy?” Live music can be an easy thing to take for granted, especially when it’s free and local. Know that these players are creating not just for their own sanity and creative muse but, specifically, for your entertainment. The audience plays a reciprocal role in each performance. The music community invites the audience (that’s you) to engage.The musicians you’ll read about here have been on my radar both as a music columnist and as a local musician. So what I’ve attempted to do here is to expose you to the hard-working local groups that are billed at area venues rather than the private, corporate, open mic, or pickin’ party scenes.Most of these groups could fit into several genre categories during any given performance, but you’ll get the gist from these broad strokes.Acoustic/Bluegrass/FolkAnne & Pete Sibley: Bluegrass/folk songwriting duo The Sibleys are on an upward trajectory, making waves on the national scene and regularly touring throughout the country with their two young children in tow. Calling Jackson home since 1999, The Sibleys have released four studio discs and won the “Great American Duet Sing-Off” on National Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. The News: Currently on tour through the Southeast, including a songwriter showcase at the International Bluegrass Music Association in Nashville.Ben Winship: Long considered one of the region’s finest talents, Winship is an accomplished singer-songwriter who primarily plays instruments in the mandolin family (he’s won several pickin’ contests), as well as bass and banjo. His current string bands include Growling Old Men, Brother Mule, and Fishing Music. He’s known to sit-in with numerous other groups, both traveling and local, too. A sound engineer at his own Henhouse Studio in Victor, Winship has over a dozen recordings. The News: Just returned from touring in the UK with Growling Old Men. Upcoming show: Brother Mule, January 2012, at Dornan’s.Michael Batdorf: One of the grittiest, most under-appreciated songwriters around, Batdorf is vocalist/guitarist for One Ton Pig and Outlaw Picnic. He has released five solo albums. The News: Recording a solo album at Henhouse Studio and planning to record a studio album with One Ton Pig this winter. Batdorf says, “I am feeling more confident in my output than ever before and am excited to share my accomplishments as soon as possible.”Thomas Sneed: A former member of Reeltime Travelers, this mandolin/guitarist/vocalist is always on the move and doing something out-of-the-box. A frequent collaborator with Winship, Sneed’s the director of Grand Targhee Bluegrass Camp and an old-time music historian. The News: Spent two months living in Galway, Ireland, performing with honkytonk group The Wilders as well as Irish band Beyond the Pale; writing children’s music; working on tribute to his mentor, banjoist Wade Mainer, who recently passed away at age 104.Random Canyon Growlers: An ever-rotating cast of fine bluegrass pickers and singers, the Growlers have separated themselves from the pack through youthful energy, soaring vocal harmonies, and solid songwriting. The News: On tour in California playing clubs, farmer’s markets, and busking on the street; in post-production of a live release recorded in Vermont.Upcoming shows: Mondays at Q Roadhouse.Phil Round: Singer, guitarist and bassist with The Snake River Band and the Stagecoach Band, Round formed bluegrass band Loose Ties (1986-1996) with Ben Winship and Ted Wells. His niche lies within a forever-expanding repertoire of thousands of songs from the popular music catalog. The News: Recently sold the use of an original tune, “Cold Outside,” recorded by Jeff Newsom and used by TNT broadcasting for its TV series Men of a Certain Age.  Upcoming shows: Thursdays through Saturdays, at the Amangani Resort.Judd Grossman: This vocalist/guitarist (JH Weekly co-publisher) has four studio albums of original music, the most recent being 2003’s I’m Innocent, which was described by one reviewer as resting “comfortably between contemporary Tracy Chapman and classic Joni Mitchell.” Grossman spent his early career touring the country and was a finalist in the Telluride Troubadour Contest and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase. Upcoming shows: Performing solo and with his band at area functions and regularly in the Lobby Lounge of Four Seasons Resort.You should also know about: The King St. Ramblers; Steam Powered Airplane; Tom Turiano & Valerie Seaberg; Mary Neil; Dave & Kathy McCann; Medicine Tree; Judith Weikle; Bluegrass Bandits; Slip and the Jigs; Kip Attaway; Beth McIntosh.JazzPam Drews Phillips: After graduating from University of Cincinnati with a BM in piano performance, Phillips landed in New York City, where she acted as pianist and conductor for original Broadway productions. She recorded a CD of original solo piano works called Open Country, and she has performed with Betty Buckley, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller Orchestra and others. She maintains a Friday/Saturday residency at The Granary. Upcoming show: With bassist Bill Plummer and drummer Ed Domer, Oct. 28, at The Granary.Bill Plummer: A star-studded bassist/sitarist with over fifty-five years of professional experience, Plummer’s resume and discography is overwhelmingly fun to explore; he’s left his mark on 62 albums, 43 television episodes, and 24 major motion picture soundtracks, covering a wide range of styles. In the jazz realm, he’s toured with Miles Davis, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz and so many more. One of his fondest memories is being invited to record with The Rolling Stones for their landmark album Exile on Main Street. Upcoming show: With guitarist Chris Moran and drummer Mike Calabrese, this Friday, at The Granary.Keith Phillips: Phillips’s career began in Chicago in the 70s, performing with jazz and rock groups. From 1980 to 1996, he was keyboardist and keyboard programmer on Broadway in New York City. He often plays in a duo format, as with his release, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, a collection of piano-bass duets with Bill Plummer. Phillips regularly plays Fridays at Warbirds Café in Driggs, and at Teton Pines and The Granary. The News: Currently in Paris. Upcoming shows: Oct. 21-22, at The Granary.Jackson 6: The swinging, stomping, and syncopated beats of New Orleans traditional jazz is alive and well in the Hole. Like Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, Jackson 6 combines the authentic components of this true American art form with a contemporary edge. Vocalist/trombonist/banjoist John Kidwell is the spark in this fire of uplifting music. The News: Recording sophomore album featuring tunes from local songwriters. Upcoming shows: Nov. 4-5, at the Silver Dollar Bar.Calle Mambo: Led by drummer/percussionist Chris Smith and driven by hot Cuban rhythms, like salsa, mambo, rumba and various Afro-Cuban claves, this ten-piece ensemble plays complex Latin dance and pop music.You should also know about: Papa Chan & Johnny C Note; Jason Fritts Ensemble; The Outfit; Jazz Foundation of Jackson Hole; Jackson Hole Community Band.Americana/Alt-Country/Folk-RockThe Miller Sisters: Karee Jaeger and Candice Kwiatkowski are country-folk singer-songwriters who perform as a duo and with guitarist/vocalist Justin Smith in three different projects: rock band Mandatory Air, trio Big Jug O Beer Band, and quintet Bootleg Flyer. Outrageous stage costumes, tight sisterly harmonies, and enough energy to carry us all through a night of rowdy good times, the Sisters won Grand Targhee’s 2011 Battle of the Bands and earned Silver in the “Best Band” category for JH Weekly’s Best of JH 2011 Reader’s Poll. The News: Recording Mandatory Air’s debut studio album. Upcoming show: With Mandatory Air at Snow King Halloween Bash, Oct. 31, at Snow King Ice Arena.One Ton Pig/Outlaw Picnic: Self-described as “chicken fried prison music,” One Ton Pig is an Americana-bluegrass quintet that has built the most popular residency in Jackson: Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Silver Dollar Bar.  Formed in 2006, the group earned Bronze in JH Weekly’s Best of JH 2011 Reader’s Poll. OTP has two live releases, Big Norm (2010) and High on the Hog (2007), featuring original music written by Michael Batdorf, Justin Smith and Tim Farris. Outlaw Picnic, which features four of the five members of OTP, has a regular Thursday gig at Q Roadhouse. The News: Planning to record its debut studio album this winter.Upcoming show: Nov. 15, at Silver Dollar Bar.Benyaro: A soulful folk duo that has twice been referred to by critics as an “acoustic David Bowie,” Benyaro is a two-man band that offers guitar and upright bass with their hands, while playing kick drum, high-hat, and egg shaker with their feet. Part-time local Ben Musser is the singer-songwriter of the group. Spending much of the year on the road or in New York City, the duo has released two albums, Benyaro (2007) and Good Day Better (2010). Each album spent time on the CMJ Top 200. Recently they opened for Abigail Washburn at the Center Theater in Jackson. The News: On a national tour.Screen Door Porch: Seadar Rose and Aaron Davis (yours truly), the core duo of alt-country/folk-blues/Americana band Screen Door Porch, have developed a songwriting style described by The Austin Chronicle as “a combination that goes down as smoothly as top-shelf bourbon.” SDP’s debut studio album of original tunes reached #16 on the Roots Music Folk Radio Chart this year and was recognized in four “best-of” lists including American Roots UK Top 25 Albums and Wyoming Public Radio’s Best of Wyoming. The band played five regional festivals over the summer. The News: Headed to Austin to record sophomore album. Upcoming shows: Sundays at Q Roadhouse.You should also know about: Greg Creamer & Ted Wells; Aaron Davis & The Docks.RockMandatory Air: Voted “Best Band” by JH Weekly readers for three years running and winners of Grand Targhee’s 2010 Battle of the Bands, eight-piece band Mandatory Air has maintained a high level of musicianship through its repertoire of classic cover songs—80’s classics, psychedelic rockers, Motown soul, and funk. The spirited group is fronted by The Miller Sisters, whose engaging stage presence is adored by our ski-town culture. This band has rocked some serious throw-downs in the Hole. The News: Recording  full-length album of original music.Upcoming show: 32nd Annual Snow King Halloween Bash, Oct. 31, at Snow King Ice Arena.Ken Dolman: This Alta singer-songwriter hand delivered indie-rock to Teton Valley when he moved there around 2007. Dolman is former frontman and songwriter for No North, a band that cultivated an audience in Los Angeles and in Europe. The progression led to commercial compositions, two solo releases, and local band Dolman, Black & The Brain. The News: New local project called The Alta Boys; working with a folksy-gothic New York band Handle of Freedom; set to record in the spring.You should know about: The Foundation; Global Review; Anonymous Jackson; Derrik Huffsmith (Derrik and The Dynamos); Rock Creek.Reggae/Ski BumPeter “Chanman” Chandler: When he’s not crooning 30’s and 40’s jazz as Papa Chan, Chanman is writing and playing reggae music or his self-pioneered “ski bum music.” Propelled by the Celestial Horns, his nine-piece Chanman Roots Band liberates mountain originals like “Skis, Boots, Poles” alongside reggae classics from Marley, Tosh, Franti and others. Chanman’s tunes have been featured in several ski films. Formed during the 1993-94 ski season, Tram Jam Band plays  at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Bridger Gondola during the ski season. Chanman has released two solo albums and an album with rock-reggae band DEEP. The News: Chanman Roots Band just released its debut studio album New Uprising. Upcoming show: Chanman Roots Band CD Release Show, Oct. 22, at Town Square Tavern.DJs/Hip-hopCut la Whut: With turntable know-how and scratching skills to match, Cut la Whut is known as a party rocker. From bass lines to sexy-time, it’s all in there. Also known as Brian “Cutter” James, he toured the Western U.S. and Canada this past year headlining or as first support on club and festival stages like Shambhala (voted #1 electronic music festival in the World by Breakspoll in 2011), The Bounce Festival, and Earth Dance. He earned Silver in the “Best DJ” category in JH Weekly’s Best of JH 2011 Reader’s poll. Upcoming show: Halloween Party, Oct. 29, at Pink Garter Theater.Vert-One: Proprietor of Full Circle Frameworks and a consultant in the network marketing industry, Rocky Vertone (a.k.a. Vert-One) formed Four4 Productions with the late King Weep in 2000. A veteran among Jackson Hole DJs, Four4 had a seven-year run as host of Disco Night at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson. Vert-One spins reggae, hip-hop, nu funk, Top 40, club bangers, electro and “even some of that dub-step all the kids are raving about.”  Vert-One was voted Best DJ in JH Weekly’s Best of JH 2011 Reader’s Poll. The News: Bringing back the “Town Meeting” to Town Square Tavern on Tuesday nights. Upcoming shows: Oct. 20, at Koshu.You should also know about: Richie Beats; Just Kenny; Victor Ragamuffin; Mr. Whipple; Biomecca.ClassicalGrand Teton Music Festival Orchestra: Directed by internationally renowned conductor Donald Runnicles, the Festival Orchestra is a conglomerate of musicians from America’s great orchestras and music school faculties. The musicians gather annually to form a resident orchestra that performs weekly classical concerts each summer season. GTMF also hosts a series of winter concerts, as well as year-round educational and outreach programming. Upcoming show: The Met: Live in HD, featuring Anna Bolena, Saturday, at Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village.Byron Tomingas: Guitarist/ ukuleleist Byron Tomingas, a Jackson native, has an arsenal of eclectic songs ranging from classical to pop and folk. Tomingas is a classically-trained musician who formed one of Jackson’s first rock ‘n’ roll bands, Teton Rocks, as a high school sophomore. Tomingas went on to attend the California Institute of the Arts and later performed with orchestras and ensembles,  and on live radio and more than twenty public broadcast television productions.You should know about: Marco Soliz; John Haines.Blues/Country Blues/RockabillyMichael Hurwitz (& the Aimless Drifters): Take a big helping of traditional cowboy music, stir in a little country honkytonk and Western swing, some southern blues and rockabilly, a bit of Louisiana Cajun, a taste of the high lonesome, add a pinch of Mexican Norteno accordion, and a spoonful of Hawaiian slack-key guitar and you’re getting close to the tasty gumbo of styles you’ll hear in the music of Michael Hurwitz. An Alta resident, he sings with a deep baritone on his five critically acclaimed studio releases. In a live setting, you’ll hear plenty of dry wit to keep you entertained as well.Bob Greenspan & The Monkey Wrench Gang: At ease improvising for minutes over a blues shuffle, guitarist/vocalist Bob Greenspan has some serious blues chops. His association with artists like Charlie Musslewhite, Barry Goldberg, Junior Wells, and Mike Bloomfield are evident in his delivery. Greenspan has two independent releases: Rock-A-Billy Blues and Tall, Dark and Lonesone.Country/WesternStagecoach Band: Last February, the legendary Stagecoach Band celebrated its 42nd year as the Sunday evening house band at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson. Founded in 1969 by ski mountaineering pioneer Bill Briggs (banjo/autoharp), Garl Davison (washtub bass), and Ron Scott (guitar), the band’s genuine old-time country western music defines an era in Jackson Hole. Briggs still performs with the group, which usually includes Dave Young or Ed Domer on drums, Christine Langdon on bass, and Derek Hufsmith and Phil Round on guitars. Guests are frequent; just ask Tom Paxton, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Jeff Walker Chuck Pyle, or Bob Dylan if they had fun jamming with the band! The News: Local filmmaker Jennifer Tennican is making a 60-minute, high-definition documentary film The Coach: An American Crossroad, which features the band. Upcoming shows: Sundays, at the Stagecoach Bar.Kole Moulton (and Lonely Road): Singer-songwriter Kole Moulton blends clean and powerful lyrics with a rock ‘n’ roll country attitude. The Victor native grew up roping and bull riding, which no doubt shows up in his style of songwriting and music composition. Moulton is also the former bandleader of Moulton Jess which released two albums and opened for some top national acts like Taylor Swift, Chris Cagle and Neal McCoy. Upcoming shows: Oct. 21-22, at the Virginian Saloon.You should also know about: Shelley & Kelly Rubrecht; Cowboy Logic; Kenny Bradberry; Bruce Hauser.Instrumental/OtherJet Black Ninja Funkgrass Unit: Yep, these guys made it into the “other” category—congrats! The Ninjas write tunes with multiple sections, changing quickly from one hook to the next while still leaving room for improvisation. This is not easily done with style, or tightly, and these guys do both. Their debut album Brown Chicken Brown Cow is a ten-track snapshot of what the band has to offer, a range of airy jam elements, straight-up bluegrass, loud techno, and Beastie Boys-style funk. The News: “We have been taking some time to write new material, and I feel like we have been getting away from the quirky, almost disjointed, style of straight bluegrass directly into straight funk.” Upcoming show: Snow King Halloween Bash, Oct. 31, at Snow King Ice Arena.Pop/IndieVictor Pokorny: Former guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for Rotating Superstructure, Pokorny has a new project with bassist Bridger Huhn called Lori, which released a six-song EP Arbeitskur over the summer. Former JH Weekly editor Matt Irwin described the six tracks as “cheery, vocal-driven tunes that showcase the inventiveness, enthusiasm, talent and, most of all, potential of its composers.”The News: Currently in the music program at University of Wyoming, Pokorny says, “I’ve been playing around with different groups of instrumentalists trying to piece together maybe a slightly less rock-oriented group. Basically I just want to do classical pop music.”Tribute/RetroThe Deadlocks: Sporting a two-drummer setup and showcasing a valiant effort in matching the various tones and grooves loved by Grateful Dead fans, The Deadlocks have done well for themselves in a short time.  The News: In August, organized the successful “Downtown Shakedown” concert on Town Square.You should also know about: SNRG; Soul Impressions.