Digging back into their catalog, Leftover Salmon is excited to celebrate fifteen years of one of their most memorable recordings experiences, “The Nashville Sessions”. On September 15th their performance at the Ryman Auditorium will be a one-of-a-kind reunion and a great opportunity for the band to share that special recording experience with the fans in a live setting. Special Guests for the evening including John Bell, Sam Bush, Jeff Coffin, John Cowan, Jeff Hanna, Taj Mahal, Todd Park Mohr, Bill Payne, Randy Scruggs, Jo-el Sonnier, Sally Van Meter, and Reese Wynans.
The Nashville Sessions recording represents a highlight in the bands long lived career. In talking with Vince Herman about this experience he shared some thoughts saying, “Recording the Nashville sessions was like a musical fantasy island for us. We’d have Earl Scruggs come in the morning, Taj Mahal in the afternoon and Waylon Jennings the next day. We were loving it. It’s still dreamlike thinking about it years later. I sure treasure having had the chance to play with such iconic figures, especially those who have passed on, including our brother Mark Vann. I’m going to savor the chance to make music with the great cast of characters assembled at the Ryman that night. Life is short. Art is long.”
Looking back over the past 25 years of rootsy, string-based music, the impact of Leftover Salmon is impossible to deny. Formed in Boulder at the end of 1989, The Colorado slamgrass pioneers took their form of aggressive bluegrass to rock and roll bars at a time when it wasn’t so common, helping Salmon become a pillar of the jam band scene and unwitting architects of the jam grass genre. Today, Leftover Salmon is: Vince Herman (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin); Drew Emmitt (vocals, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, mandola, fiddle); Andy Thorn (vocals, acoustic and electric banjo, National guitar); Greg Garrison (vocals, acoustic and electric bass, acoustic guitar); Alwyn Robinson (drums, percussion).
Though the lineup would change through the years, the foundation of Leftover Salmon was built on the relationship between co-founders Drew Emmitt (vocals, guitar, fiddle, mandolin), Vince Herman (vocals, guitar, washboard) and Mark Vann (electric banjo). Following a decade of constant growth and constant touring, on March 4, 2002, Mark Vann lost his battle with cancer. Vann insisted that the band carry on and Leftover Salmon has done just that.
After several rotating banjo players including Matt Flinner, Scott Vestal, Tony Furtado, as well as taking a hiatus from touring at the end of 2004, the band was ready to hit the road again in the summer of 2007. Soon after, banjo phenom Andy Thorn was brought in to the group and a new album, Aquatic Hitchhiker, was recorded and released in 2012. NPR’s Mountain Stage heralded Colorado’s Leftover Salmon as “one of the most beloved acts on America’s summer-festival circuit”. This year Leftover Salmon released their 2004 self-titled album digitally for the first time; the album was produced by Bill Payne of Little Feat who has also been joining the band on the road for most of their shows in recent months.
For more information, tour dates, and other LoS news, please visit www.LeftoverSalmon.com.
