"Uncle Earl" is the distinctive name of a group of talented musicians, who specialize in exciting performances in the tradition of Old Time Mountain String Bands. As the biography page on their own official website puts it: "The band...was conceived and born as a labour of love - an attempt to capture the distinct female voices in American Roots music".

This page is an unofficial attempt to collect together some details of their story so far. The group already appears to have had a fairly intricate evolution, and the story is made even more interesting by the fact that all the "g'Earls" (as the members often call themselves) are also known for their separate careers in performance, teaching and recording.

The account that follows is dependant on the existing web references that I have been able to trace. I have tried to include some mention of all the participants whose names are known to me; I apologize for any names or details that long distance and my lack of earlier discovery might have led me to overlook.

I have kept the story on one page so that it can be read as a whole, but as the structure has become rather complex, this listing may help in navigation. When scrolling down, the section subheadings are colour coded, and clicking on the links will also lead to each section:

1. link K.C.GROVES (who has been with the band throughout)
2. link PAST MEMBERS (all the names known to me)
3. link PRESENT MEMBERS.
4. link RECORDINGS
5. link LINKS (General links not covered in the other sections)

One remarkable detail is the far-flung nature of the group's geography. From origins in Michigan, the principal current focus is Colorado, but the home bases of the five performers also take in New Mexico, Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee. (In that context, the location of this page a few thousand miles further East could hardly prove surprising!)

The story begins with a musical collaboration between two Michigan-based women, K.C. Groves and Jo Serrapere, each already noted for separate work. The name "Uncle Earl" and their first performances seem to date from 2000; the later evolution of the fuller band stemmed initially from the 2002 CD they produced, with the co-operation of other artists, the still currently available "She Went Upstairs"

With family links stretching back to West Virginia, K.C Groves was already known in Michigan and beyond as an instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, and had issued accoustic Americana and Bluegrass-flavoured recordings, mostly of her own songs. Later, she was to move to Colorado (the State that hosts the Telluride and Rockygrass Festivals), where she was to provide the focus for the later development of Uncle Earl as a full string band and live performance group.

The combination of some fine writing, a pure voice and skilled playing make both her earlier and her current album well worth exploring. K.C. has been able to secure some interesting contributions from respected guest musicians - for example the production skills of the late Charles Sawtelle on her debut release, as well as Tim O'Brien, Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, Mark Schatz, Sally van Meter and Tony Furtado and others providing vocal or instrumental contributions.

K.C. Groves pictured on her first major CD release
(Photography credited to Doug Coombe)

These are the track titles for K.C.'s recordings:

When We Dance (1997?, perhaps a limited or local release)

• 1 When We Dance
• 2 Too Much Talkin'
• 3 Little Sky
• 4 Hold On
• 5 Weedin' Onions
• 6 Baby
• 7 Mark on Me
• 8 Soft Complaint

Can You Hear It (1998, One Man Clapping Records)

• 1 Can You Hear It?/Lost Indian (3:40)
• 2 Peach Pie (2:33)
• 3 New Mexico (3:53)
• 4 Little Sky (4:10)
• 5 You Think We're Friends (3:35)
• 6 Pony Days (3:36)
• 7 When the Wind Blows Free (3:48)
• 8 Hold On (3:09)
• 9 Weedin' Onions (3:00)
• 10 I'll Take You in My Arms (4:07)
• 11 Bad Boy Blues (3:02)
• 12 And the World Turns Around (3:18)

Sound samples of tracks 4 & 9
A review from Country Standard Time
And another from Elderly Instruments.

Something Familiar (2004, artist's own release)

• 1 Snapshots of a Life (3:51)
• 2 Thinking in Terms (2:26)
• 3 Denver to Telluride (3:59)
• 4 Heidi (3:06)
• 5 Soft Complaint (2:27)
• 6 Something That Happens (2:27)
• 7 Keep on Lookin' (4:28)
• 8 Just Like the Snow (2:58)
• 9 Song in My Heart (2:56)
• 10 What Went Wrong (4:04)
• 11 St. Vrain Waltz (4:19)

A review from Cybergrass

For information on the availability of K.C.'s albums, please visit her own website, or this page at County Sales

Besides her own releases, K.C. has contributed to a number of other recordings, and this listing is unlikely to be complete:
"Little Sky" and "Weedin' Onions" were included on a compilation album, Sound of One Man Clapping: A Sampler
Music from Rancho Deville, Charles Sawtelle, 2001, K.C. sings chorus on "Angel Band"
Flatpicking 2000, (FGM Records), "And The World Turns Around", Charles Sawtelle duets with K.C.)
Coal And Diamonds (Thursday Records, 1998), Kevin Meisel, K.C. sings harmony
Sycamore Tree, by David Mosher, K.C. contributes (?)
Good Luck Fire Chief, by Brian Lillie & the Squirrel Mountain Orchestra, K.C. contributes (?)
Two albums by Jim Roll, (New West Records): Lunette and Ready to Hang, K.C. sings harmony
Leftover Salmon (Self-titled album), K.C. sings harmony on "Woody Guthrie"
A production credit: K.C. co-produced The Window by David Elias

As well as Uncle Earl, K.C. may have appeared with "The Mud Thieves" (although I regret I have no firm information), and makes appearences , mainly in Colorado, with "The Dangerfields" (web details are unfortunately sparse, but this appears to be sometimes a duo, K.C. and Jeff Hamer, and sometimes a five piece band - apparently K.C., Jeff Hamer, Eric Thorin, Eric Moon and Damon Smith. K.C. has a photo of the Dangerfields here. Jeff Hamer is also a member of The Single Malt Band

Detroit-based Jo Serrapere has a wide-ranging interest in many of the threads of American Roots music - the Appalachian tradition celebrated on the Uncle Earl CD being only one aspect of this. After the completion of that project, she gave her blessings to the further development of Uncle Earl by K.C. and her friends, while continuing her work with her own band, first known as "The Hot Tail Section", and later as "The Willie Dunns". Please see the following links for further details of Jo's story:
An early article, with photo, on The Hot Tail Section
The biography page, with photos, for Jo and The Willie Dunns
Details of Jo's recordings, with purchasing details.

A publicity photo for the first "Uncle Earl" CD release
K.C. Groves (foreground), Tahmineh Gueramy (standing), Jo Serrapere (right)

Tahmineh is a lawyer, who first acted as booking agent for Uncle Earl, but whose musical talents, both vocal and instrumental, range through several Roots traditions, including Old Time Appalachian, Cajun and traditional Irish music. She sang on the first Uncle Earl recording, and played fiddle in many of their early appearences. She has been associated with a number of bands, including The O'Malleys, The Threshers, The Weepers, Pub Domain, Zydecrunch, and The Troublesome Lasses, as well as working with Kitty Donohoe and other artists.

These links give some indication of Tahmineh's work:
An article, with portrait, on The Troublesome Lasses
One on The Weepers, again with portrait.
A review of a CD released by the Weepers.
A photo of Tahmineh on stage. (Casey and Amanda are in the background)
Tahmineh singing with Pub Domain (with links to other pages on that group.)
A website on Zydecrunch

The "second phase" (and the first line-up as a full band) - standing, Amanda, bass, Tahmineh, fiddle, Casey, banjo; seated, K.C. and Jo, guitars.

CASEY HENRY

Casey played banjo for Uncle Earl on their early tours. Her parents have been stalwarts of the Bluegrass scene, and Casey first played in their band, "Red and Murphy and Their Excellent Children". (Her mother, Murphy Henry, is also involved in a writing and database project on "Women in Bluegrass"). Casey also teaches and writes, and has produced an instrumental CD, "Real Women Drive Trucks". She has played with the DeSoto Band and The Tennessee Heartstrings.

A photo of Casey playing banjo
An article about Casey, also with portrait.
A tracklist for Casey's CD.
The Tennessee Heartstrings, an all-female Bluegrass band, which includes Casey.

Amanda was the bass player for the Band's early live appearences. Originally from West Virginia, she has taught bass at Davis and Elkins College's Augusta Heritage Centre. She has also worked with the Bob Smiley Band, and the Mitchell-Little Band (with Patty Mitchell Lege, who, like Sharon Gilchrist, had once played with the early Dixie Chicks). Amanda now plays in Adrienne Young's acclaimed band "Little Sadie".

There is a photo on-line of Amanda performing at an "Uncle Earl" concert in 2003
This page from the Augusta Heritage Centre includes a portrait of Amanda
A page from Patty Mitchell's site outlining Amanda's time with her band.
The website of Adriene Young and Little Sadie

Two line-ups from a "middle phase" of Uncle Earl's history, showing a gradual transition of membership:
top, Tahmineh, K.C., Amanda, Abigail
below, Abigail, Rayna, K.C., Amanda.

ERIC THORIN

As mentioned above, Eric has worked with K.C, in the Dangerfields. He has also worked with Tony Furtado, and later with "Open Road". He plays bass in a variety of styles, including rock, jazz and Bluegrass, and also teaches the instrument. He performed on bass in some of Uncle Earl's appearences, and is heard on one track on their sampler EP "Going to the Western Slope".

A picture and short biography are on this page.
Another portrait

Well known at "Planet Bluegrass", Sally Truitt is one of several bass players to have played with Uncle Earl, and she is pictured with the g'Earls on the band's website. Sally has performed in a number of groups, including "Sugarbeat", "Mighty Squirrel", and one of the Colorado Festivals' most distinctive offerings, the (usually!) female "BoomChicks", with their many guests from the Americana music scene.

There are some photos of Sally with well-known singers on this page
This commercial portal lists available records on which Sally is credited with an appearence.
I believe this poster, from the Lyons Recorder (Colorado), shows Sally with the band.

Another musician to fill the role of bass player for Uncle Earl, towards the end of 2004, Kyle is currently working with guitarist Hans Holzen in the HK Band.

The website for The HK Band
Pictures of Kyle can be found on this page
Scrolling down to his section on this page gives an indication of the artists he has worked with.

Dan Rose took up the bass for Uncle Earl for a number of their live performances, and it is he who appears in the Kennedy Centre video. He is heard on two numbers on "Going to the Western Slope" and will also be on the band's forthcoming CD, "She Waits for Night". Dan has also been a member of the quartet "High on the Hog" and has recently joined "The Mammals"

High on the Hog's web page, including a picture and short resume.
And this larger picture of High on the Hog

Abigail originally played with the Cleary Brothers Band in Vermont, and a photo of the members is on this page. They have a CD available; (I am unsure whether this was made when Abigail was a member)

As well as her talents on the banjo, Abigail is a fluent Chinese speaker, and will often include a song she has translated into Mandarin at the Uncle Earl concerts. Besides her official website, see also this page, which includes a short account of her musical influences.

Abby has issued an EP, (available from her website), with musical contributions from Casey Driessen, Amanda Kowalski, Tim O'Brien, Russ Barenberg and Megan Gregory.

Here In This Room

1. Nobody's Fault But Mine
2. Rockabye Dixie
3. Santa Anna's Retreat
4. Coffee's Cold / Tater Patch
5. Save Me Child
6. Single Drop of Honey

The Duhks (Self-titled release, 2004)
Abigail sings harmony on "Death Came A Knockin'" and "The Wagoner’s Lad".

Appalachian Picking Society (Various artists, 2004, Windham Hill Records)
Abigail plays banjo, with Béla Fleck, on the track "Annabelle June".

Quest USA, Da Tiao Zhan Soundtrack CD
Abigail performs "You Nu", her Bluegrass adaptation of an ancient Chinese poem

The daughter of Old Time musician Dan Gellert, Rayna is a renowned fiddler in the Appalachian tradition. As well as a fine portrait, this page gives some details of her musical influences and teaching activities. Rayna's official website includes a biography and several pictures, as well as samples of her music.

With musical contributions from Paul Brown, John Herrmann, Phil Jamison, Meredith McIntosh, Trevor Stuart, and Travis Stuart, Rayna has produced a CD of fiddle tunes, available from her website.

Ways of the World (Yodel-Ay-Hee Records, 2000)

1. Great Big Taters In The Sandy Land
2. Julianne Johnson
3. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
4. Ducks On The Millpond
5. Old Yeller Dog Come Trottin Through The Meeting House
6. Cotton-eyed Joe
7. Ways Of The World
8. Willow On The Lake
9. Little Girl With The Hair All Down Behind
10. I've Got No Honeybaby Now
11. Sugar In The Gourd
12. Charleston #1
13. Where's That Preacher With The Rabbi's Wife
14. Sally Comin' Through The Rye
15. Swannanoa Waltz
16. Wagoner One-step
17. Jenny Ran Away In The Mud In The Night
18. ArkansasTraveler
19. She Lied To Me
20. Winder Slide.

"Sugar In The Gourd" also appears on Friends Across The Pond, a CD sold in the UK to raise funds for Old Time music and dance. Details are available here
A couple of informal photos from Rayna's UK visit are here

The many Roots musicians Rayna has performed with include:
Recent recordings:
Light and the Half Light, by Sean Doyle, (Compass Records, 2004); fiddle
Distant Future, by Heidi Talbot, (Compass Records, 2004); fiddle
Groups she has belonged to:
The Freight Hoppers (formerly with Cary Fridley, Frank Lee, and others). After the breakup of the band, Rayna and Frank made appearences as a fiddle/banjo duet
The Hepsteppers (with Leela Grace and Ellie Grace.) Pictures are available near the foot of this page
The Bominators (with Joe Fallon, guitar, John Herrmann, banjo, and Meredith McIntosh, bass.)
The Craggy Hollow String Band (with Meredith Macintosh, John Herrmann, Jamie Herrmann, Phil Jamison and Frank Lee)
Town Mountain (with Joe Newberry, banjo, and Joe Fallon, guitar & bass)
The Blue Ridgerunners (with Joe Newberry, Carol Elizabeth Jones, and Joe Fallon)
Duet appearences (a selection) Bob Carlin; Kenny Jackson; Frank Lee; Joe Fallon; David Holt

Interviews available on-line:
Cary Fridley and Rayna Gellert talk about aspects of Old Time Music.
Rayna is interviewed in Folkworks. (This is an Adobe PDF document; if you do not wish to use the plug-in, it can be read in plain HTML here.)

Kristin is a dancer as well as a musician, and she has brought to Uncle Earl's live performances the distinctive rhythm of clog dancing, which in both Appalachia and the British Isles can form an integral part of the sounds of folk music.

As well as her percussive dance projects, Kristin is a member of The Jolly Bankers (with Pierce Woodward, banjo & bass, and Laura Cortese, fiddle), and of The James Leva Band (with James Leva, fiddle, Travis Stuart, banjo, and Danny Knicely, guitar & mandolin.

The Jolly Bankers' have issued an EP, available from CD Baby:
Death and Taxes

• 1. Ducks on the Millpond
• 2. Rayna's Dream
• 3. The Uncloudy Day
• 4. The Jolly Banker
• 5. Ways of the Gangsters
• 6. Left Up Cripple Creek

Kristin has included notes on all her recordings on her official website. A new CD of her original songs is expected in early 2005, and there is also a page of personal recordings of her work offered for download here.

SHE WENT UPSTAIRS (2002)

1. Charlie He's A Good Ol'Man
2. The Blackest Crow
3. Orphan Train
4. Dream My Girl
5. Rubber Dolly
6. Where the Soul of Man Never Dies
7. Baby
8. Lost Child
9. Over in the Glory Land
10. The Fox
11. Snow White Dove
12. Freight Train

K.C. Groves & Jo Serrapere; with Laurie Lewis (Fiddle, Vocals), Sally van Meter (Banjo, Slide Guitar, & Bass), Pooh Stevenson (Mandolin), Jean Ballhorn (Fiddle), Tahmineh Gueramy (Vocals)

GOING TO THE WESTERN SLOPE (2004)
A "Sampler" EP, now out of print. CD Baby have sound samples of tracks 1,4 & 5)

• 1. Coffee's Cold/Tater Patch
• 2. Pale Moon
• 3. Backstep Cindy
• 4. Going to the West
• 5. Coon Dog
• 6. Keys to the Kingdom

Kristin, Rayna, K.C., Abigail; with Dan Rose - bass on tracks 1 & 5 and Eric Thorin - bass on track 2

RAISE A RUCKUS (2004)
A second EP, released around year's end, and the first to feature the new quintet, with Sharon Gilchrist as regular bass player

• 1. Stacker Lee
• 2. Little Annie
• 3. Julianne Johnson
• 4. Walker
• 5. Keys to the Kingdom
• 6. Raise a Ruckus
• 7. The Izze Jingle

Track 4 is an original composition by Sharon; Track 7 is a jingle for the Izze soft drinks company. Full notes on the individual tracks are on the official website.

NEW: The LYRICS to the songs on "Raise a Ruckus" are on this page

SHE WAITS FOR NIGHT

This will be the next full CD, with release expected in the early months of 2005.

(Many links have been cited in the text; please explore these for more information on the g'Earls and some of the many musicians who have been associated with them. Here are some more general links on the Group as a whole)

Uncle Earl's official website, with photos, news, press reviews and forthcoming appearences. You may also sign up there for a monthly newsletter.

Uncle Earl's booking agency
A concert filmed at the Kennedy Center is available on-line. (While, regretably, the visual detail is rather restricted by the camera's distance from the stage, the sound quality is good and the atmosphere is captured well. The concert lasts an hour.)
Setlists of all the tunes played by the g'Earls at recent appearences (Search by date, or by the Band's name). This important resource for fans is made possible by Garian Vigil, who co-ordinates and compiles the lists.
Some photos from 2003
Two dynamic shots on stage
On a fun note, the birthdays of several of the g'Earls are among those celebrated on this page

There is also a Yahoo Group for Uncle Earl Fans

Click to join UncleEarlFans

(For overseas fans, downloading the audio files, made available by enthusiasts, with permission, after some of the concerts, is the only way at present to hear these exciting performances. Details of newly available downloads are posted to this group).

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All material on this non-commercial website is purely for the purpose of information and fair use by fans. Any and all COPYRIGHTS in images, or other published material are reserved to their lawful owners. This site has no connection with the artists, or with any organization involved in their promotion.

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