The Infamous Stringdusters

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The Infamous Stringdusters
Stringdusters Press.jpg
Photo by Jason Siegel Photography
Background information
OriginNashville, Tennessee, United States
Genres
Years active2006–present
Labels Sugar Hill, High Country, Compass, Lumenhouse, Tape Time
MembersAndy Hall
Andy Falco
Chris Pandolfi
Jeremy Garrett
Travis Book
Past members Chris Eldridge
Jesse Cobb
Website thestringdusters.com

The Infamous Stringdusters are a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band. The band first emerged in 2006 with the limited release of a five-song extended play CD The Infamous Stringdusters, [1] followed in 2007 by their first album Fork in the Road. Both of these were on Sugar Hill Records. The band consists of Andy Hall (Dobro), Andy Falco (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (double bass). [2] The band has become known for a complex, distinctive, and groove-friendly sound along with a bluegrass theme. [3]

Contents

The Infamous Stringdusters won three awards at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Ceremony in October 2007: Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Fork in the Road (in a tie with J.D. Crowe & the New South's album Lefty's Old Guitar), and Song of the Year for the album's title cut. [4] The band was also nominated for 2011 Entertainer of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. [5]

In 2011, "Magic No. 9" (from Things That Fly) was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. In 2018, they won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. In 2021, the band was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category for their album "A Tribute to Bill Monroe."

Formation

The creation of the Infamous Stringdusters is first based on the relationships that banjo player Chris Pandolfi, dobro player Andy Hall, and former guitarist Chris Eldridge formed while in Boston, Massachusetts. Hall, Pandolfi and Eldridge were students at Berklee College of Music. [6] Pandolfi and Eldridge soon followed Andy Hall to Nashville, Tennessee, where they met Hall's Ronnie Bowman Committee bandmates Jesse Cobb (mandolin) and Jeremy Garrett (fiddle). The group then held an audition for a possible bassist in the fall of 2005, where they found Travis Book. Book had been residing in Durango, Colorado. Eldridge soon departed in 2007 to join Chris Thile's Punch Brothers and was replaced by guitarist Andy Falco. [6] In October 2011, Jesse Cobb announced his departure from the group. Cobb cited mental and physical stress as the reason for his leaving days before the release of We'll Do It Live. [7]

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles


Live albums

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
2010"In God's Country"
2012"Don't Mean Nothin'"
"The Place That I Call Home" [12] Tom Daly/Infamous Stringdusters
2013"Rockets" [13] Billy Hume
"Night on the River'"
2014"Let It Go" [14] Harrison Buck
"Summercamp"Hayden 5
2017"Gravity"Mara Whitehead
"Just Like Heaven"

Awards

Grammy Awards

The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. They celebrate artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards - music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement.

YearCategoryNominated WorkResult
53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards - 2011Best Country Instrumental PerformanceMagic No. 9Nominated
60th Annual GRAMMY Awards - 2018 Best Bluegrass Album Laws Of GravityWon
64th Annual GRAMMY Awards - 2022Best Best Bluegrass AlbumA Tribute to Bill MonroeNominated

International Bluegrass Music Awards

Performance-centered awards recognizing outstanding achievement and pioneering effort in bluegrass music. [15] Presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

YearCategoryNominated WorkResult
2007Song of the Year"Fork In The Road"Won
Emerging Artist of the YearWon
Album of the YearFork In The RoadWon
2008Instrumental Group of the YearNominated
2010Instrumental Group of the YearNominated
2011Instrumental Group of the YearNominated
2016Graphic Design - Recorded ProjectScott McCormick (designer) - Ladies & GentlemenWon

Live performances

Live performances have become the main focus of the band. The Infamous Stringdusters focus their recording on how their tracks will play live, with audience interaction. [16] During live shows, the Stringdusters are known to take to their Jam Band roots and visit long improvisational and instrumental sets. [17] The band uses these long, improvisations to showcase every member's individual talents, through solo performances or other methods. [18] The band also records almost all of their live shows and posts them on nugs.net. [19]

Current members

Former members

Reception

Throughout the Stringdusters' years touring, the group has been described as "a future supergroup," "phenomenon," "intricately improvisational," and "flawless" by bluegrass critics. The band's music is described by many to walk the fine line between soft traditional folk and bluegrass songwriting and resilient jamming. [20] Among all of the group's released recordings, The Infamous Stringdusters,Things That Fly and Laws of Gravity have been the most critically acclaimed. At the end of 2011, the Stringdusters were named one of the top-trending bands of the year, just behind the Foo Fighters, The Wood Brothers, and B.B. King. [21]

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References

  1. "Infamous Stringdusters CD due in February". Bluegrass Today. 4 December 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  2. "About" Archived 2012-05-06 at the Wayback Machine , biography page from thestringdusters.com
  3. "American pickers". The Diamondback . Maryland Media. August 12, 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  4. The 2007 International Bluegrass Music Awards: The Recipients Archived 2013-02-25 at the Wayback Machine (IBMA press release)
  5. "2011 Award Nominees". International Bluegrass Music Association.
  6. 1 2 "Interview with Travis Book". Cincy Groove. 29 July 2008.
  7. "Jesse Cobb departs the 'Dusters". Bluegrass Today. 6 October 2011.
  8. "Rise Sun by The Infamous Stringdusters". iTunes Store. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  9. "The Infamous Stringdusters EP". iTunes Store. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  10. "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on 2014-07-27.
  11. "The Infamous Stringdusters Release New Live Record 'Live From Covington, Kentucky'". Live for Live Music. 18 November 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  12. "CMT : Videos : Infamous Stringdusters : The Place That I Call Home". Country Music Television . Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  13. "CMT : Videos : Infamous Stringdusters : Rockets". Country Music Television . Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  14. "CMT : Videos : Infamous Stringdusters : Let It Go". Country Music Television . Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  15. "International Bluegrass Music Awards" . Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  16. "Silver Sky Pledge Video". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-12.
  17. "The Infamous Stringdusters – Music Review". The Austin Chronicle.
  18. "The Infamous Stringdusters Live Review". JamBands.com. 16 May 2010.
  19. nugs.net | The Infamous Stringdusters | Live Downloads , retrieved 2018-06-04
  20. "Live Review: The Infamous Stringdusters at All Good Music Festival 2011". Performer Magazine.
  21. "2011 Year in Review". JamBase.com.