Look for an evening of freewheeling Americana at its very best. The High and Wides (mostly renegades from the high-energy Eastern Shore touring group Chester River Runoff, plus a world class jazz bassist) play music inspired by, but not tethered to (their words), the days when the lines between bluegrass, old-time, country, boogie, blues, rockabilly and western swing were blurred, back before string bands got stuck in a particular genre and never again saw the light of day.
When you hear these guys play, you get carried away by the music—it’s fun, it’s melancholy, it’s foot tapping, it’s corny and it’s all under one grand folky umbrella. Good voices, good instrumentals, good group: they don’t miss a beat, and they’ve always got something new up their sleeve—not “new” new, but some interesting and different twist on things we think we’ve heard before, but not quite like that...
Sam Guthridge (banjo/mandolin/vocals) has been on the musical scene for going on two decades now, fine tuning his own eclectic banjo style and sharpening his vocal chops. He’s been described as having an M.C. Escher-esque approach to playing the banjo—whatever that means. But he’s greasy fast and feisty, for sure, contributing original songs to the party along with his sparkling wit and devilish personality. His musical styles range from old-time to ska, all filtered through his lifelong love of traditional bluegrass (though it may not always come out sounding traditional). And he shows up in the oddest places. If he isn’t glued to a band, he wanders the country and the world playing music everywhere he can. In 2012 he toured Ecuador with the Quito-based country band Texas Express. He’s also performed with Nate Clendenen, Caleb Stine, Jordan Tice, Tom Bailey and the Aristocrats, the Hot Seats, Abbie Gardner, Aspen Run, Avi & Celia, Cory Seznec, Belle Star, among others. An old-time instrumental trio album he recorded with Aaron Jonah Lewis and Erica Weiss was named to the "Top 10 Indie/Roots” albums of 2013.
Marc Dykeman (guitar/vocals) has been playing music professionally since the early 90s, when he played with ska bands Nope and the Pietasters. Since then he has played classical and jazz trombone, has become a great bassist, and is the only band member with a degree in music—that is, until bassist Mike Buccino came along (more on that later). A man of wide ranging tastes, Marc also plays bass and composes for the Baltimore-based art rock band Pläns Pläns, who released their second studio album in the fall of 2008. When Marc isn't playing music, he is the interviewer and sound editor for an an oral history project on the Eastern Shore, and has edited radio spots for these interviews on several radio stations, including WRNR Annapolis and WKHS Worton. He has taught college seminars on oral history, renovated his own house, and is an excellent mechanic who might fix your diesel Mercedes if you ask nicely and display cash.
The youngest member of the group, fiddler Nate Grower (fiddle/mandolin/vocals) was motivated to take up the fiddle as a teenager after hearing bluegrass music at his home in western New York. He took a few classical violin lessons and made his debut with a symphony orchestra at the age of 17 at a performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird. Since moving to Delaware in 2005, he has concentrated his efforts on mastering the art of bluegrass fiddle. His fiery solos transfix audiences, and he is unmatched among fiddlers in his ability to play driving rhythmic backup. When Nate isn't playing locally, he is playing fiddle in the David Bromberg Quintet, has recorded with the Stonemans, has a solo album out on Patuxent Records, and has subbed with high profile bluegrass acts such as Audie Blaylock & Redline and Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass. Oh, and he was also the 2011 Delaware State Fiddle Champion.
Mike Buccino (bass), the “other guy” with a music degree, has a master’s in music theory and composition from the University of Northern Colorado. As a bassist and guitarist, he has performed jazz, salsa, R&B, folk, and classical music with various ensembles, including the Dover Symphony Orchestra. Mike is also a regular performer at the Chestertown Jazz Festival and is active with the Baltimore Jazz Alliance. His thumping bass lines perfectly match the rhythms of the group, with periodic sorties into powerful solo bass riffs that can really spice up a song.
You can “like” these guys at www.facebook.com/HighandWides, and take a listen to some of their tracks at: www.thehighandwides.com.
The concerts are presented to a seated audience inside the museum's air-conditioned building at 100 Lafayette Street in Havre de Grace. Wine and beer are available for sale. Admission is $10 per person. There is ample parking and the building is handicap accessible. For more information, call us at (410) 939-4800.
The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum Summer Concert Series is brought to you with the support of the Maryland State Arts Council and donations from the general public. Thank you.