BIO

Call it "new-timey,"call it "post-bluegrass,"call it "string band music for the 21st century"—whatever the name, there's a revolution under way where string band traditions meet youthful creativity; look right to its center, and that's where you'll find Bearfoot. The quintet, originally formed in Alaska, have already made a mark with four strong releases, including their 2009 Compass Records debut, Doors And Windows. Now, as they enter their second decade with a new Nashville home and a new lineup, Bearfoot have taken their place among the best and brightest of a new generation of musicians reshaping American roots music.

By the time work began on Doors And Windows, they'd already said goodbye to one member and welcomed another as their path led them—both literally and figuratively—away from their more traditional origins. Doors And Windows, which debuted at the top of Billboard's Bluegrass Albums chart in the spring of 2009, served as a turning point, and by the end of the year, Bearfoot was ready to relocate outside of Alaska in favor of mostly Nashville residence; to launch itself completely onto the musical territory it had already begun to explore, and to seal the deal with the acquisition of two new members already making names for themselves as spectacularly gifted young players.

Pride of place in any account of Bearfoot must go to the two remaining founders, fiddler Angela Oudean and mandolin player Jason Norris. The former served as an advance guard of sorts, moving to Tennessee when she enrolled in the pioneering Bluegrass and Country Music program at East Tennessee State University, graduating in 2006 with a B.S. degree that included a minor in bluegrass. By then she'd performed and recorded with the acclaimed ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band and IBMA award winners, the Daughters Of Bluegrass, but also showed more wide-ranging sensibilities through performances and recordings with Americana artists like The Everybodyfields and singer/songwriter/guitarist Megan McCormick. Norris, in the meantime, headed for Nashville at a slower pace, spending time in Colorado's "jamgrass scene and working up his own distinctive style on the fiddle to complement his mandolin work with the band.

Singer and fiddler Odessa Jorgenson joined Bearfoot shortly before work on Doors And Windows began. Fresh from a two year stint with the North Carolina-based Biscuit Burners, she helped the group to focus more on vocals, though she also has a strong fiddle resume that extends back to classical training and extensive performance in her native California, where she played in youth symphony and chamber orchestras. An energetic performer, Jorgenson was also responsible for much of the band-generated material that appeared on the Compass debut, and she continues to emphasize songwriting as a main contribution to Bearfoot's distinctive sound.

Joining the three veteran members are two young new recruits to Bearfoot's ranks. Georgia native Jake Stargel is probably best known for a multi-year stint as guitarist with The Greencards, where he served in a chair that had previously been occupied mostly by considerably older players—no surprise, really, for a player who won the Georgia state flatpicking competition in his teen years. Another new welcomed addition is acclaimed bassist Samson Grisman, a resident of Boston and omnipresent figure in that city's thriving roots music scene who began his career even earlier, joining his father's David Grisman Bluegrass Experience at 11. A freewheeling stylist who nonetheless has unmistakable traditional chops, Grisman expertly rounds out the Bearfoot lineup and provides the perfect foundation for a group headed straight into the future.

Summary

Call it "new-timey," call it "post-bluegrass," call it "string band music for the 21st century"—whatever the name, there's a revolution under way where string band traditions meet youthful creativity; look right to its center, and that's where you'll find Bearfoot: Angela Oudean (fiddle/vocals), Jason Norris (mandolin/vocals), Odessa Jorgensen (fiddle/lead vocals), Sam Grisman (bass), and Jake Stargel (guitar). The quintet, originally formed in Alaska, have already made a mark with four strong releases, including their 2009 Compass Records debut, Doors And Windows. Now, as they enter their second decade with a new Nashville home and a new lineup, Bearfoot have taken their place among the best and brightest of a new generation of musicians reshaping American roots music.

PROMOS

Here are some free downloadable goodies for you to enjoy.

11x17 poster

Doors and Windows Press Release

Doors and Windows review in Valley Advocate

Doors and Windows review in TimeOut New York