HVBA Events

Event 

Title:

The Josh Williams Band

When:

11/20/2010 07.30PM

Where:

Temple Beth El - Poughkeepsie

Description

The Josh Williams Band

Where:  Temple Beth El - 118 Grand Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY
When:   Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Price:     $15/members $20/non-members, Children under 12/Free

JOSH WILLIAMS - Guitar & Vocals 

IBMA 2008 Guitar Player of the Year is happier than ever working with his own band, and playing his own style of bluegrass - music.

Joshua Seth Williams was born on November 20, 1980 in Murray, Kentucky, the second son of Tony & Terri Williams. He and his older brother, Justin, were raised in a modest home in Benton, Kentucky, a small town in western Kentucky.

His grandmother, the late Mary Neale Williams, was the first to notice Josh's interest in music. Mary Neale was a gifted poet and vocalist who often entertained, in the western Kentucky area, at civic clubs and charitable functions. She would sing and accompany herself on the ukulele, but was also a competent guitar and mandolin player. She actually began Josh's musical career by showing him how to play the ukulele when he was only five years old.

A short time later, his dad began showing Josh some chords on the guitar. Josh's family often had friends and relatives over to play music and sing in their horne, and Josh always enjoyed these occasions. Josh actually started taking banjo lessons from western Kentucky legend, Scottie Henson, at the age of eight. Josh studied with Henson for approximately two years, all the while teaching himself to play mandolin, dobro, and guitar. Josh is now a competent player of all the bluegrass instruments.

He successfully performed with his own band during high school, "High Gear", as well as "Hyper Drive" with Scott and Chris Thile, and New Haven Records youth band, "The Young Acoustic All-Stars." After graduation from high school he spent five years on the road with "Special Consensus," followed by four years of three hundred days per year touring with "The Rage." Josh claims Doc Watson and Tony Rice as his biggest influences on guitar. Josh lives in Burns, TN, just outside Nashville. 

NICK KEEN - Mandolin & Vocals 
The youngest and newest member of the band Nick Keen, comes from the small town of East Bend, North Carolina.  Nick began playing the mandolin at the young age of 11.  His father, Mike, would sit down and help his son learn as much as possible until one day he began getting lessons from bluegrass veteran Jody King (banjo player for Larry Cordel).  Between these two, Nick learned the three T’s of music: Tone, Taste, and Timing these have made him into the exhilarating and eclectic player he is today.  His first band was a gospel quartet his father played in called The Rose Of Sharon.  Here Nick honed his skills and really took a heavy interest in pursuing music as a career.  He learned so quickly and naturally it wasn’t long at all before offers came in to play with several other professional bands.  He then joined regional band, Broken Wire who had quite a following in the southeast.  With this band he graced the stages of Rhythm and Roots, IBMA Fanfest,  Merlefest, Floydfest, plus many others.  On top of that Nick has had the honor of sharing the stage with many bluegrass greats to mention only a few,  Ronnie Bowman, Sierra Hull, Ron Block, Melonie Cannon, Randy Kohrs,  Carrie Hassler, and many more. The young talent has even had the oppurtunity to work in the studio with Grammy award winning producer/engineer, David Hall!  In April of 2009 Nick received a call from 2007 IBMA male vocalist of the year, Bradley Walker, and was asked to join his band.  Nick accepted the challenge and began touring with Walker.  All over the bluegrass circuit everyone has been hearing of a 19 year old mandolin player whos playing, to quote Shawn Lane, "Is as clean as a bar of Irish Sring Soap". Keen has been able to draw infulences from many different genres of music and has implemented them all into his own unique and tasteful style. He has won numerous awards, the most recent would be when Keen was proclaimed the 2010 Merlefest Mandolin Champion. The mandolinist has now took his talents and joined forces with the 2008 and 2009 IBMA guitar player of the year, Josh Williams. Nick Keen is quickly growing into one of today’s premier bluegrass mandolin players and only time will tell what is in store for the promising young man. 

JASON McKENDREE  - Banjo and Vocals 
Jason McKendree grew up western Kentucky, heavily influenced by music.  Everybody in his family beginning as children in local churches where each member learned the basics of harmony structure by learning many great gospel tunes. Jason was intrigued by bluegrass music at a young age and showed an interest in the banjo. His parents bought him his first banjo for Christmas in 1994, however, it was nearly 5 years later that he began to seriously learn the instrument After being self-taught for about a year, Jason began taking from western Kentucky legend, Scottie Henson. It was during this time that his family's bluegrass band, "The McKendrees," began performing at local jam sessions, festivals and churches. Jason developed his abilities as a banjo player, as well as a bass and baritone singer. "The McKendrees" have recorded two projects, "Travelin' Back" and "He Leadeth Me", the first of which was produced by Josh Williams. Josh has been a long time friend of the family and Jason was excited and honored to be asked to the Josh Williams Band Jason has a Masters of Science Degree in Mathematics and is currently teaching math at Murray State University. 

RANDY BARNES - Bass & Vocals 
Barnes was born and raised in Richmond, KY, but now makes his home in Mt Juliet, TN with his wife and daughter.  He is a multi-talented musician and has a natural ability to play any acoustical style music, specifically bluegrass, gospel and classic country. He has traveled extensively around the states as a youngster following after his father, Earl Barnes.  Randy began his self taught instrumental education at the age of six.  He first learned to play the banjo while his brother, Danny, learned the guitar.  Once these instruments were mastered they, in turn, taught the other.  The love of the music began to take a firm hold on Randy and his true aptitude for learning the music emerged.  He continued to learn and excel with his artistic endeavors and with his self-motivated desires and over thirty years of experience, he has gone on to play with some very talented musicians.  Randy's ability to transport any band into solid exchanges of timing and tone has delivered respect from peers and fans alike.  He has cultivated an ability to sing a multitude of vocal ranges to form the perfect harmony blend with any musical combination he has chosen to be a part of.  He has combined his efforts on stage and in the studio with many exceptional peers such as Charlie Sizemore, Larry Stephenson, Lou Reid and Carolina, Rhonda Vincent and NFR to name but a few.  Randy has now joined forces with the dynamic Josh Williams Band.

Venue

Venue:

Temple Beth El   -   Website

Street:

118 Grand Avenue

ZIP:

12603

City:

Poughkeepsie

State:

NY

Description

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