Gary and Larry Keel Play Bulls and Bears Pub in Hagerstown, MD on Nov 25th!

Original, and from the soul, Larry Keel, an acoustic Americana flatpicker, delivers inventive bluegrass, country, jam rock, roots reggae and indie-alt while always honoring those that introduced Bluegrass and Mountain Music. When Larry and his brother Gary Keel team up, as they occasionally do for live shows and two albums in the past six years, expect lightning-fast flatpicking!

The Keel Brothers music is deeply rooted in their father Jim Keel’s generation and his musical tastes, drawing on selections from the earliest Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, Doc and Merle Watson, Classic Country Gentlemen, fiddle tunes and flatpicking guitar tunes and old ballads that were always a part of the weekly “jam sessions” of the Keels’ large circle of Bluegrass picker-friends. It was Larry’s older brother Gary (older by 12 years) who taught him to play the guitar at age 7, and bought him his first instrument.

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Flatpickin’ with the Keel Brothers at the John Allison Public House in Greencastle on 6/24 and Dante’s in Frostburg on 6/25

Original, and from the soul, Larry Keel, an acoustic Americana flatpicker, delivers inventive bluegrass, country, jam rock, roots reggae and indie-alt while always honoring those that introduced Bluegrass and Mountain Music. When Larry and his brother Gary Keel team up, as they occasionally do for live shows and two albums in the past six years, expect lightning-fast flatpicking!

The Keel Brothers music is deeply rooted in their father Jim Keel’s generation and his musical tastes, drawing on selections from the earliest Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, Doc and Merle Watson, Classic Country Gentlemen, fiddle tunes and flatpicking guitar tunes and old ballads that were always a part of the weekly “jam sessions” of the Keels’ large circle of Bluegrass picker-friends. It was Larry’s older brother Gary (older by 12 years) who taught him to play the guitar at age 7, and bought him his first instrument.

The “Keel Brothers” project is a glimpse into the fantastic family energy that launched young Larry into virtuoso playing by the age of 17. Home Grown Music Network writes about the Keel Brothers album Volume 1, “Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of The Keel Brothers project is the happiness that pervades this recording. It is obvious that the Brothers are having a great time putting down into a permanent “record” these tunes that were absorbed during a youth spent in seizing every waking moment to play music: on the porch, in the kitchen while Mom’s cooking, at family and community picnics, cake walks, VFW benefits. And at night, while the rest of the family and the world’s asleep, Larry and Gary would be closed up in one of their bedrooms picking and recording long into the night.”

Listen to the Keel Brothers here.

Keel Brothers

John Allison Public House
Friday, June 24th, 2011
717-643-0218
104 E. BALTIMORE ST
Greencastle, PA 17225

Dante’s
Saturday, June 25th, 2011
301-639-1734
16 W.Main St.
Frostburg, MD 21532

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Archive: Interview with Larry Keel in Durham

ATTENTION: THIS SHOW (Casbah Durham Dec 17th)HAS BEEN CANCELLED due to The Keels being snowed in in Virginia; however, we did want to post the article as an archive for you all to enjoy!

Bluegrass at the Casbah with Keel

THE HERALD-SUN, DURHAM, N.C. | DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN | Thu, Dec 16, 6:56 PM

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Dec. 16–Longtime flatpicking guitar playing bluegrassman Larry Keel thinks just about any song could be turned into a bluegrass song.

“I believe whether a Miles Davis song or a reggae song, the bluegrass sort of creeps in there. Though your hardcore purists might say no,” said Keel in a phone interview from his home in Lexington, Va., on the side of a mountain.

Tonight he’ll be at Casbah in Durham with his band Natural Bridge, which features his wife Jenny Keel on upright bass and Mark Schimick on mandolin. Larry Keel and Natural Bridge is named for the, well, the natural bridge that’s a wonder of nature and tourist stop in southwestern Virginia. Keel lived in the community of Natural Bridge for 15 years before moving to Lexington. The group’s last record was “Backwoods.”

Over the course of Keel’s career, he’s played with several groups — Magraw Gap, the Larry Keel Experience, the Keel Brothers and Keller & the Keels.

Keller & the Keels is composed of Larry and Jenny Keel with Keller Williams . Their latest, out this year, is “Thief.” It’s filled with covers of songs that seem a natural segue to their Americana sound — like the Grateful Dead’s “Mountains of the Moon” — to songs you didn’t know could be bluegrass, like “Pepper” by the Butthole Surfers, “Bath of Fire” by Presidents of the USA and “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse.

Larry Keel said that the song choices were Williams’.

“I’m just glad to be a part of it, to put it out there to kids who might not normally hear it,” Keel said. In recent years new bluegrass bands have veered from playing only traditional tunes.

“I sort of look at it as bluegrass has to change to keep it growing. I see younger groups trying to turn their age groups on to bluegrass by playing songs they know in a bluegrass fashion, and therefore preserving bluegrass,” he said.

Keel plays a little bit of all of it — traditional, originals and covers.

“With my style of traditional bluegrass, I do a lot of writing and always try to write something new from something that inspires me — people I meet, all the places I go to,” he said. Fishing, too, is part of the experience.

“It’s a very Zen-like activity, very magical. You’re concentrating on one focused-type thing, and music is like that,” Keel said.

Keel said that as he grows older, he definitely takes his music very seriously, but not too serious.

“I try to keep an audience happy,” he said. “It’s nice to uplift them when they come out to a show, and I get back that good energy.”

Keel has his own youtube channel,http://www.youtube.com/user/Larrykeelmusic. Keel will be back in North Carolina again for a New Year’s Eve show in Charlotte with Keller & the Keels.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

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Jenny Keel writes about New Years Eve in Asheville

Check out the final report from Jenny Keel on Larry Keel and Natural Bridge’s New Year’s Eve event at the Grey Eagle in Asheville:

Just now catchin our breath from the fantastic finale night that marked the close of 2009, and the beginning of what’s going to be the BEST YEAR EVER ! our 8th Annual New Year’s Eve shebang at the Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville NC was a stellar success-   a rolicking ragin crowd of ultra enthusiastic folks came out to enjoy the festivities we presented-   MC Fudd McKinney fired everyone up and announced and introduced and shared his unmatched wit all throughout the evening.  and the MUSIC!

PURE MAGIC from start to finish.. DWAYNE BROOKE crooned his original songs and tore up the gypsy jazz guitar (Larry, of course, couldn’t resist joining in on THAT, to pay tribute to Django Reinhardt at a point in Dwayne’s stylish set)..  then

Larry and Jenny and GARY KEEL killed it in an explosive Keel Brothers set-  non-stop energy and passion in that mountain family musical merger.

After that came the NUCLEAR new sound from the coolest riverboat rock folk band we’ve ever encountered (well, really the ONLY band like this that we’ve ever encountered!), BAWN IN THE MASH. Those guys blew every one’s minds, with a huge sound of irresistible instrumentation (including at times xylophones, theramin electronics and the whole gamut of acoustic instruments from big bass to fiddle and mando, to the biggest drum sound ever heard in the grey eagle, probably!).. makes you wanna tear your hair out with excitement!

And as the momentum built into the big turn of the time into 2010, LARRY KEEL AND NATURAL BRIDGE took the stage, bringing together the mass of musicians that had gathered there that night, for everyone to cheers and toast and play a vivacious version of Auld Lang Syne.. 13-piece bluegrass orchestra style..  tears of joy and anticipation for a fresh, fabulous start to the year 2010 launched LKNB into an hour and a half of some spectacular musical moments–   Larry unleashed brand new music, including a lyrical song he wrote, “LOVE”, and the dark-humored soldier’s blues song written by friend (and veteran) Donny Knuckles called “BAGHDAD BLUES”, plus a new instrumental “FISHIN REEL”..

The fun, the frenzy, the friendship among all those like-minded music lovers gathered in that warm place that night, all makes us GLOW with the best memory-    and it will fuel our fires for months to come in this great New Year that we’re already charging into!  Stay closely tuned to www.larrykeel.com, our facebook and twitter networks, and to www.fishinandpickin.com to see ALL THE GOOD STUFF GOIN ON all the time!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

~Jenny Keel

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Keel Brothers Toys For Tots Holiday Benefit Concert!

Larry and Gary Keel are doing their annual benefit/party show for the good people in the Fredericksburg/Culpeper area of Virginia… wonderful Holiday spirit!!

The KEEL BROTHERS consider that their music is deeply rooted in their father Jim Keel’s generation and his musical tastes, drawing on selections from the earliest Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, Doc and Merle Watson, Classic Country Gentlemen, fiddle tunes and flatpicking guitar tunes and old ballads that were always a part of the weekly “jam sessions” of the Keels’ large circle of Bluegrass picker-friends. It was Larry’s older brother Gary (older by 12 years) who taught him to play the guitar at age 7, and bought him his first instrument. The “Keel Brothers” project is the long overdue glimpse into the fantastic family energy that launched young Larry into virtuoso playing by the age of 17.

Listen to the Keel Brothers here.

Keel Brothers Toys For Tots Holiday Benefit Concert!
Friday November 27th, 2009

PARTY AND POT LUCK

Richardsville FirehallL
29361 Elys Ford Road
Richardsville Va 22736

*Free show, but bring an unwrapped GIFT for child, teenager, or adult woman
*Bring a covered dish for the potluck, 6-8pm Music 8:30-11, BYOB

For directions, info and RSVP, contact: Michelle Kozlowski 540-538-7761 Sapphire124@verizon.net

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FISHIN and PICKIN presents the Larry Keel Grey Eagle New Years Eve Blow Out in Asheville!

Performances by Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Bawn in the Mash (from Kentucky), Dwayne Brooke (From The Woodshedders), and The Keel Brothers (Larry and Gary).

Video Preview by  G Social Media/ AskAsheville.

LARRY KEEL AND NATURAL BRIDGE is undeniably the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating Acoustic Americana ensemble performing today. Period. Lead by award-winning Flatpicking Guitar genius Larry Keel, this group takes Bluegrass instrumentation into totally surprising places and spaces, from the purest traditional forms to the most astonishing experimental sonic journeys a listener can undertake. The mission is always clear: to let technical skill, honest emotion and fearlessness connect their playing and singing to their audience, to entertain and to thoroughly ENJOY the experience! “We hope,” says Keel to reporter TJ Boley, “to achieve a commonness between everyone that listens to our music, and let the magic of the music take over the moment and bring everyone together. We want them to be pulled into the music.”

Keel himself absorbed the best lessons of his Bluegrass family upbringing, both sides deeply steeped in the rich mountain music culture and heritage of Southwest Virginia. From there, he has always integrated that solid musical grounding and natural-born TALENT with his own incomparable approach to flatpicking the guitar and to his original music. The combination is pretty irresistible, and has earned Keel the highest respect and billing among the top acoustic musicians alive, and some now gone: Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, to name a few. And his fierce, high-spirited energy also appeals to young rockers, jammers and alt country pickers and fans who are equally drawn to Keel’s deep rumbling voice, his earthy and imaginative song-writing, and his down-home-gritty-good-time charm. Keel regularly collaborates with JamBand and Rock giants Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams, Jorma Kaukonen, David Nelson, Jim Lauderdale, members of String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon, amongst others.

Joining the award-winning Flatpickin legend are his MIGHTY band Natural Bridge: Mark Schimick on mandolin and vocals, Jason Flournoy on banjo and vocals, and wife Jenny Keel holding strong on upright bass and vocals. You won’t believe what these musicians achieve with just these simple, acoustic instruments, with nothing but volume enhancement to deliver the musical message. One live encounter with this artist and his band proves undeniably and out loud to the world that they are the best at what they do and they cannot be replicated, thus placing them in a musical class all theirown: LARRY KEEL AND NATURAL BRIDGE will amaze you!

Fishing Reel Video of Larry Keel and Natural Bridge at Watermelon Park Fest ’09
Internet Archives for Larry Keel live recordings

Bawn in the Mash is Experimental Americana for Intergalactic Folk. “Bawn in the Mash bridge the rarely traversed gap between bluegrass and rock ‘n’ roll with the effortlessness of careful students of both.”- The Nashville Scene. They are from Paducah, KY. www.bawninthemash.com

Dwayne Brooke is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter who shines out like a ray of moonshine from the dense tangle we call West Virginia. Somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and Stephen Foster he became enchanted, and thus supremely influenced, by the (awesome) musical stylings of Django Reinhardt. He has rendered forth a host of modestly incredible songs, which sources report, cause listeners to “furiously oscillate their hind-parts and experience satori…” Dwayne is also crown-prince of “The Woodshedders”, the amazing septet that explores the boundaries of traditional acoustic music, and bring forward an array of influences including Swing, Old-Time, Bluegrass, Rhythm & Blues, and especially the Hot Club Jazz of Django Reinhardt. The Woodshedders’ debut CD “Catch That Yardbird” just won the JustPlainFolks Roots Album of the Year Award for 09. http://www.thewoodshedders.com

The Keel Brothers consider that their music is deeply rooted in their father Jim Keel’s generation and his musical tastes, drawing on selections from the earliest Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, Doc and Merle Watson, Classic Country Gentlemen, fiddle tunes and flatpicking guitar tunes and old ballads that were always a part of the weekly “jam sessions” of the Keels’ large circle of Bluegrass picker-friends. It was Larry’s older brother Gary (older by 12 years) who taught him to play the guitar at age 7, and bought him his first instrument. The “Keel Brothers” project is the long overdue glimpse into the fantastic family energy that launched young Larry into virtuoso playing by the age of 17. Listen to the Keel Brothers here.

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Larry Keel New Years Eve in Asheville, NC

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