Nothing better than a sunshiney Friday afternoon — along with some fantastic Bluegrass aficionados in the studio! Today I was pleased as punch to be joined by Eric Christopher (fiddle/vocals) and Anthony Ihrig (banjo/vocals), two of the five members of the Minnesota Bluegrass mavericks, The High 48s.
The High 48s are renowned nation-wide for their modern take on this traditional musical genre. They perform both top-notch original compositions along classic covers both new and old, bringing their own interpretations to the mix. Factor in championship instrumentals and exquisite vocal harmonies, and you’ve got one of the best darn Bluegrass outfits around.
And if that’s not enough, in addition to being consummate performers, they are also well-respected music instructors to boot (check out the links to their teaching websites above).
We chatted a bit about the origin of the band’s name and their unique take on Bluegrass, as well as the inspiration behind their 2019 (and just-released) live CD recording, “Wham! Bam! Thank you Braham!” (mixed and mastered at nearby LittleBig Studio in Cannon Falls). And I was able to sneak in a shout-out to my BBF, who just happens to be Eric’s wife*!
Eric and Tony performed three tunes from their vast repertoire:
Jeanne Marie* (from 2006’s The High 48s)
Long Hot Summer Days (from 2017’s Daddy Was A Bank Robber)
Grand Junction (from 2014’s Great Northern Railroad)
The full band is appearing TONIGHT at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault — and tomorrow at Hobgoblin Music in Red Wing. You can also find their complete tour schedule on their website — I highly recommend catching them live! And get your hands on their CD releases — they are the real deal, y’all!
Listen to the entire segment here: here
