Larry Keel’s Experienced is Out Today! Featuring Guests Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan

Larry Keel’s Experienced Out TODAY Friday, February 26, 2016!
Experienced is a blazing journey of music
featuring Larry Keel, Jenny Keel, and Will Lee
with special guests:
Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter,
Mike Guggino, and Anders Beck

LEXINGTON, VA —  Flatpicking guitar phenom Larry Keel dazzles music-lovers once more with his 15th self-released album Experienced, out today, February 26, 2016. Del McCoury says, “Larry Keel is a triple threat… songwriter, guitar player, entertainer. He can do it all.” The album is an entirely original work that showcases both Larry’s and bandmate Will Lee’s exceptional songwriting, singing and jaw-dropping instrumental performances, accompanied by Keel’s equally talented wife Jenny Keel on upright bass and harmony vocals.

Experienced is available now at Keel’s web store (http://larrykeel.com/products-page/) and CD Baby (http://bit.ly/LarryKeel_Experienced_CDBaby).

Added to the raw sophistication of Keel’s progressive acoustic style are several guest-musician-friends who appear on various tracks of Experienced, a list of artists that reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of icons and new stars including Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter (The Del McCoury Band), Mike Guggino (Steep Canyon Rangers), and Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass). The album was recorded at Wally Cleaver Studio in Fredericksburg, VA with engineer (and guest drummer) Jeff Covert and mastered by the award-winning industry great Bill Wolf (Willie Nelson, Tony Rice, Doc Watson) in Arlington, VA.

The seven tracks on Experienced reflect Keel’s musical personality, from frenzied and raunchy to mystical and sensitive, and through it all, Keel’s honest attitude shines, fearlessly and with throttle wide-open. “I love me some Keels. There is a certain genuine authenticity that Larry and Jenny possess,” says Keller Williams. “When we get together, our wonder-powers unite to form a giant, impenetrable sphere of open-minded, Appalachian psychedelic goodness.” Sam Bush (who plays mandolin and fiddle on the fiery opening track “Ripchord”) exclaims, ‘Enjoy the music… Larry does!”

Kind Words About Experienced

Experienced is on the rise on the Americana Music Association’s radio chart and currently at #25!

“Experienced jimmies into your soul” —No Depression, Amos Perrine

“Few people can get away with describing their music as an ‘experience.’ But then again, few words come close to actually describing the music of Larry Keel. To see Larry Keel perform is to have just that: a unique, singular experience that cannot be duplicated.” —Bluegrass Today, Brian Paul Swenk

“The Keels are the next generation of pickers, and the way they invite legends like Del (McCoury) and Sam (Bush) into their songs adds a punch to music that already punches you in the gut, a punch that makes you want to giddy up, to stand-up, to throw your hands up and slam your boot wearing feet in the ground and shout ‘Hallelujah’” —Relix Magazine’s Peter Shapiro
Relix Magazine presented world premiere of Experienced
which is available to stream through the end of the day of the album release

“Not that many artists get to album number 15 in their career. With Experienced… Larry Keel hits that milestone… and he does so with more than a little help from his friends.” —Folk Alley premiered the song “Fill ’em Up Again.”

“[Keel] keeps things interesting by offering genre-bending novellas that demand attention and then subsequently, if not inevitably, satisfy it. The guy is simply too good to allow anyone a sense of comfort. Don’t dare click the stop button — you never know what might be coming around the playlist.”
—Frederick News-Post, Colin McGuire

“Always innovative and pushing boundaries, I was eager to see what type of magic Larry Keel could pull off with a list of guests that included Keller Williams, Del McCoury, and Sam Bush… To say that this album lived up to it’s hype would be an understatement. Every guest was utilized in a way that showcased their most impressive talents, yet this still clearly felt like a Larry Keel album the whole way through.” —Music Marauders, Mitch Melheim

“Keel’s record is beautiful–I love how the rawness of his voice (and playing) really lets the soul shine through the arrangements! I’ve always liked how he can go from sweet and sentimental to dirty and greasy and back.
I especially liked the song ‘Memories’” —Oliver Wood, The Wood Brothers
The Bluegrass Situation Premiered the song “Memories.”

“The album alternates from the sweet nostalgia of ‘Memories’ to the rough and raw ‘Fill ‘Em Up Again,’ to the spooky spirit-filled ‘Warrior,’ complete with Native American chanting from Rowan, similar to his work on ‘Land of the Navajo’ from the first ‘Old and In the Way’ album.” —Mountain Times, Jeff Eason

“It is clear just how much heart was put into each and every word written, and every note sang and played. It also seemed that Keel took the time to write songs that fit well with the musical stylings of his guests.”
—NYS Music, Amy Lieberman

“Bluegrass, Americana, and everything else that sounds good”
—The Lonesome Road Review, Larry Stephens

“Experienced… represents an exploration of American roots music
with folk and blues making appearances on the record.”
—Americana Review, Jason Gartshore

“Listening to the new Larry Keel album Experienced is a revelation. It is a look at what music can be when stripped of preconceptions and when a blend of bluegrass, deep woods psychedelia and moonshine combine.”
—Consider Collective, Eric Rayburn

“Experienced is an album you’ll want to experience again and again.”
—Wildman Steve, The Corner News

Experienced Track Listing:

1. Ripchord [Lee] 6:09  w/ Sam Bush
   2. ‘Lil Miss [Keel] 4:22
   3. Memories [The Keels]  4:00
   4. Fill’em Up Again [Lee] 2:55 w/ Del McCoury, Jason Carter, Mike Guggino
   5. Miles and Miles [Keel] 4:37 w/ Keller Williams
   6. The Warrior 4:38  [Keel] w/ Peter Rowan
   7. Another Summer Day [Lee] 4:47 w/ Anders Beck, Jeff Covert*All tracks with The Larry Keel Experience:
   Larry Keel, Will Lee, and Jenny Keel

   Find out more and stay up to date with news from Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com, www.twitter.com/LarryKeel, www.facebook.com/LarryKeelFishinAndPickin.

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Larry Keel Brings New Album ‘Experienced’ (Ft. Sam Bush, Del McCoury) On the Road

Larry Keel Brings New Album ‘Experienced’ On the Road
With Tour Dates In The NE & SE States

Larry Keel Independently Releases Experienced on Friday, February 26, 2016
A blazing journey of music featuring special guests:
Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter, Mike Guggino, and Anders Beck

LEXINGTON, VA —  Flatpicking guitar phenom Larry Keel is set to release a his 15th album, Experienced, on February 26, 2016. Keel has a variety of musical formats swirling around the calendar each year: look out for his core band, The Larry Keel Experience (featuring Will Lee on 5 string banjo and vocals and Jenny Keel on upright bass and vocal harmonies). They are set to embark on an album release tour starting in late February with stops throughout the north and south eastern States including a couple of sets at Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL and a lot of pickin’ gig on at Aiken Bluegrass Festival in South Carolina. See Larry’s full list of tour dates below including a few early February dates with Keller & the Keels, as well as All-star shows in Hawaii leading up to Valentine’s Day and at Winter Wondergrass in Vail in mid-February.

Experienced includes seven tracks and is an entirely original work that showcases both Larry’s and bandmate Will Lee’s exceptional songwriting, singing and jaw-dropping instrumental performances, accompanied by Keel’s equally talented wife Jenny Keel on upright bass and harmony vocals. It was recorded at Wally Cleaver Studio in Fredericksburg, VA with engineer (and guest drummer) Jeff Covert and mastered by the award-winning industry great Bill Wolf (Willie Nelson, Tony Rice, Doc Watson) in Arlington, VA.

Added to the raw sophistication of Keel’s progressive acoustic style are several guest-musician-friends who appear on various tracks of Experienced, a list of artists that reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of icons and new stars including Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter (The Del McCoury Band), Mike Guggino (Steep Canyon Rangers), and Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass). According to Larry, “This project is a collection of my songs and Will Lee’s music, developed further with the amazing talents of some of our musician friends and heroes. Very real. Very fresh.”

Larry Keel On Tour with Experienced 2016

Keller & the Keels
2/04 Thu – Plaza Live – Orlando, FL*
2/05 Fri – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL*
2/06 Sat – b.e. easy Music & Arts Festival – Lake Worth, FL

The Keels w/ Special Guests
2/12-13 Fri-Sat – Charleys Restaurant and Saloon – Paia, HI
2/19-20 Fri-Sat – WinterWonderGrass – Vail, CO

The Larry Keel Experience
2/26 Fri – Shepherdstown Opera House – Shepherdstown, WV
2/27 Sat – Gypsy Sally’s – Washington, DC
3/03 Thu – Rabbit Hole – Charlotte, NC ^
3/04 Fri – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC ^
3/05 Sat – Tifton Rhythm & Ribs Festival – Tifton, GA
3/18-19 Fri-Sat – Suwannee Springfest – Live Oak, FL
3/24 Thu – The Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, NC <
3/25 Fri – Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC
3/30 Wed – Plain Folk Cafe – Pleasant Plain, OH
4/2 Sat – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
4/3 Sun – Elk Creek Cafe – Millheim, PA
5/7 Sat – Sleepy Creek Spring Ding on the Potomac – Berkeley Springs, WV

The Keels w/ Special Guests
5/13-14 Fri-Sat – – Aiken Bluegrass Festival – Aiken, SC >

*w/ Yonder Mountain String Band
^ w/ Jon Stickley Trio
< w/ The Woodshedders
> Friday LKE set, Sat Keller and Keels as well as Larry Keel All-star jam with Vince Herman, Mimi Naja, Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck and more!

More date TBA! Stay tuned to www.larrykeel.com.

What folks are saying about Experienced

“Keel’s record is beautiful–I love how the rawness of his voice (and playing) really lets the soul shine through the arrangements! I’ve always liked how he can go from sweet and sentimental to dirty and greasy and back. I especially liked the song ‘Memories’” —Oliver Wood, The Wood Brothers

“Larry Keel is one of my favorite artists..his new cd has grit, warmth, vision, and is so real. Which is what makes this band the most kick ass band to ever raise hell this side of the old dominion.”
—Chance McCoy, Old Crow Medicine Show

“Experienced jimmies into your soul” — No Depression, Amos Perrine

“Listening to the new Larry Keel album Experienced is a revelation. It is a look at what music can be when stripped of preconceptions and when a blend of bluegrass, deep woods psychedelia and moonshine combine.” —Consider Collective, Eric Rayburn

“The album alternates from the sweet nostalgia of ‘Memories’ to the rough and raw ‘Fill ‘Em Up Again,’ to the spooky spirit-filled ‘Warrior,’ complete with Native American chanting from Rowan, similar to his work on ‘Land of the Navajo’ from the first ‘Old and In the Way’ album.”  —Mountain Times/ Watauga Democrat, Jeff Eason

“Not that many artists get to album number 15 in their career. With Experienced (due out February 26), flatpicking phenom Larry Keel hits that milestone… and he does so with more than a little help from his friends.” –Kelly McCartney, Folk Alley premiered the song “Fill ’em Up Again.” Stream it here → www.folkalley.com/archives/001465.php

The Bluegrass Situation Premiered the song “Memories.” Stream it here → www.thebluegrasssituation.com/read/listen-larry-keel-memories  

“Larry Keel is a true original, be it traditional, progressive, improv- he does it all and with such joy. I love jamming with Keel. Enjoy the music, Larry does.”–Sam Bush

“Larry Keel, the Bluegrass Warrior, has kept the flame of mountain alive with intensity and clarity of singing and fiery guitar picking! Larry and Jenny both have big-ears and wide listening to open their music up to a growing young audience” —Peter Rowan

Find out more and stay up to date with news from Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com, www.twitter.com/LarryKeel, www.facebook.com/LarryKeelFishinAndPickin.

 

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Larry Keel Set to Release ‘Experienced’ w/ Guests Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan & More

Larry Keel Independently Releases Experienced
on Friday, February 26, 2016
A blazing journey of music featuring special guests:
Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter,
Mike Guggino, and Anders Beck

LEXINGTON, VA —  Flatpicking guitar phenom Larry Keel dazzles music-lovers once more with his 15th self-released album Experienced, due out February 26, 2016. The album is an entirely original work that showcases both Larry’s and bandmate Will Lee’s exceptional songwriting, singing and jaw-dropping instrumental performances, accompanied by Keel’s equally talented wife Jenny Keel on upright bass and harmony vocals. It was recorded at Wally Cleaver Studio in Fredericksburg, VA with engineer (and guest drummer) Jeff Covert and mastered by the award-winning industry great Bill Wolf (Willie Nelson, Tony Rice, Doc Watson) in Arlington, VA.

Added to the raw sophistication of Keel’s progressive acoustic style are several guest-musician-friends who appear on various tracks of Experienced, a list of artists that reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of icons and new stars including Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams, Jason Carter (The Del McCoury Band), Mike Guggino (Steep Canyon Rangers), and Anders Beck (Greensky Bluegrass). According to Larry, “This project is a collection of my songs and Will Lee’s music, developed further with the amazing talents of some of our musician friends and heroes. Very real. Very fresh.”

The seven tracks on Experienced reflect Keel’s musical personality, from frenzied and raunchy to mystical and sensitive, and through it all, Keel’s honest attitude shines, fearlessly and with throttle wide-open. As Sam Bush (who plays mandolin and fiddle on the fiery opening track “Ripchord”) says, ‘Enjoy the music… Larry does!” “‘Lil Miss” follows up with a cynical gibe at a mock Miss Prim and not-so-proper young lady of modern day society, set to a down and dirty blues-rock riff.

“Memories” (co-written by Larry and Jenny) is the portrait of the artist (Keel) gently swept away by life’s vast gallery of experiences and personal connections, and the poignant emotions that spring from it all. As the third track, it cools down the pace of things, letting the listener settle into the musical journey Keel has orchestrated.

“Larry Keel is a triple threat… songwriter, guitar player, entertainer. He can do it all,” says Del McCoury, who is featured on the playful and rollicking “‘Fill em Up Again” along with Carter and Guggino. “I think what makes Larry so powerful is that he has lived his songs, he’s not sitting in a room trying to write the hit of the week, he’s writing what’s in his heart and on his mind.”

“I love me some Keels. There is a certain genuine authenticity that Larry and Jenny possess,” says Keller Williams. “When we get together, our wonder-powers unite to form a giant, impenetrable sphere of open-minded, Appalachian psychedelic goodness.” Appropriately, Keller plays on the swelling and rolling “Miles and Miles,” which is a sort of metaphoric travel log of life on the road as a musician (and as a human being)… the key being to stay true to one’s own ‘voice’.

“The Warrior” is loosely based on the Carlos Castaneda book The Teachings of Don Juan and the search for knowledge by an old Yaqui Indian brujo. Peter Rowan joins on percussion instruments, yodeling and throat singing, adding a burning tension to the music, as the tale is sung in Keel’s gravely baritone. “The warrior is seeking the power… Standing tall he will never cower… He can see the spirits in the air… He can see the things that are not there.” The musicianship, lyrics and magical production combine to bring the listener down into the depths of the mystics and back out again in revelation.

Following “The Warrior”, the album’s gentle and refreshing closing melody, “Another Summer Day,” emits the feeling of resurfacing into the world, relaxed and carefree to enjoy the daylight and breeze.  The tune was written and sung by Will Lee, with Anders Beck lending his intuitive touch on dobro and Jeff Covert carrying it along with a light drum beat.

“Larry is the yin and the yang,” declares Beck. “He will break your heart with a waltz, but he can also scare the hello out of you in the next song.  He plays on the edge… no, strike that.. he creates genius guitar solos while staring over the edge and laughing maniacally.”

“This studio album was a complete blast to make, from start to finish,” says Jenny Keel. “Larry, Will and I, along with our exceptional engineer Jeff Covert coalesce into a working musical unit that push each other to higher and higher heights of magic, skill, art and energy.  Add to that this cast of guests with all THEIR unique talents, and you have a recording that is pure enjoyment. Every detail of it!”

Throughout his prolific career, Keel has released 15 albums, including Experienced, and is featured on 10 others. Along with those that guest on the new album, Keel has performed with a multitude of top acoustic and electric musicians alive, and some now gone, including Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Tony Rice, Bill Monroe, Bob Weir, Jorma Kaukonen, Little Feat, Trombone Shorty, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon and many many others. Larry has written songs being performed by the likes of Del McCoury Band, Infamous Stringdusters and Yonder Mountain String Band and has a tune on Del McCoury’s GRAMMY-winning album The Company We Keep [2005] entitled ‘The Mountain Song.’

Experienced Track Listing:
1. Ripchord [Lee] 6:09  w/ Sam Bush
2. ‘Lil Miss [Keel] 4:22
3. Memories [The Keels]  4:00
4. Fill’em Up Again [Lee] 2:55 w/ Del McCoury, Jason Carter, Mike Guggino
5. Miles and Miles [Keel] 4:37 w/ Keller Williams
6. The Warrior 4:38  [Keel] w/ Peter Rowan
7. Another Summer Day [Lee] 4:47 w/ Anders Beck, Jeff Covert

*All tracks with The Larry Keel Experience: Larry Keel, Will Lee, and Jenny Keel

Find out more and stay up to date with news from Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com, www.twitter.com/LarryKeel, www.facebook.com/LarryKeelFishinAndPickin.

 

 

 

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Town Mountain & The Larry Keel Experience Play Isis for 4th Annual Holiday Benefit on Sat 12/19

4th Annual Holiday Town Mountain Benefit
with The Larry Keel Experience on Saturday, December 19th
at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall
An annual event that helps provide much needed hunger relief for 1 in 6  of our WNC neighbors, with partial proceeds going to MANNA FoodBank

Town Mountain hosts their 4th Annual Holiday Benefit on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at Isis Music Hall and will be joined by The Larry Keel Experience for the occasion! Tickets for the concert are on sale now and the event typically sells out, so get your tickets early. Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm, $20. 743 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806. More info at www.isisasheville.com

Starting in 2012, local bluegrass ambassadors, Town Mountain, decided they wanted to initiate an annual holiday concert to help fight local hunger. Each year since, they have teamed up with another band and host Isis Restaurant and Music Hall to throw a holiday party featuring some of the best local and regional pickers rotating on stage throughout the evening. In sum total, the Holiday Benefit Concert has raised $7,500 enough money to provide food for 22,500 meals through MANNA FoodBank.

“The WNC music community has always been a strong support system for our work at MANNA FoodBank, whether it is through supporting our special events, our mission, or by raising money to end hunger in Western North Carolina. Over the past three years, this event has helped us provide the food for over 19,500 meals!” MANNA FoodBank says, “When our community works together – a business providing the space for an event, musicians providing entertainment and a reason for gathering, and the people buying tickets to support it – we can accomplish so much. Thank you to every individual who makes this possible. With your help, we can end hunger in WNC.”

Town Mountain’s banjo player and founding member Jesse Langlais decided that he wanted to make this an annual event because of the band’s ties to the area and their desire to give back to the place that has helped launch their music careers. In addition to providing the space free of charge as host of the event, Isis Music Hall has also waived many production costs and been generous enough to donate both in kind and cash contributors to the event each year in order to facilitate the event’s success.

“The need to provide a hot meal and shelter to those in need is ever present. Not only is it something we need to be aware of 365 days a year, it’s something that always stands out around the holiday season,” says Langlais. “This year, partial proceeds will be going to MANNA FoodBank, who work to help 1 in 6 people facing food insecurity in Western North Carolina.”

“We are honored to be part of this annual funding raising event that brings together musicians and community to provide for those that are less fortunate.” Isis’s owner Scott Woody says, “We deeply appreciate the efforts of FATE (Josh Stack) and MANNA for all that they do.”

Town Mountain will have some new tunes to ring in the season! They recorded an impromptu set of two of their favorite songs from the Grateful Dead’s catalog, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” and “Big River” at the widely acclaimed Echo Mountain Recording Studios in their hometown of Asheville, NC. The disc is called The Dead Session and comes out on November 13th. This is the Grateful Dead done in Town Mountain’s hard drivin’ style filled with a honky tonk edge and barroom swagger. They will put out their next studio album, produced and engineered by GRAMMY winner Dirk Powell, in 2016. Town Mountain is Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Adam Chaffins on bass.

The Larry Keel Experience will also be playing some new tunes for the celebration from their upcoming album due out in 2016. Larry Keel, widely known as a guitar legend and master fisherman, is an innovative and original acoustic flatpicking guitarist that had broken ground in the genre. Always offering an exhilarating performance, The Larry Keel Experience features Will Lee on soulful, blues-grass 5 string banjo, penetrating vocals, along with exceptional songwriting contributions, and Jenny Keel on upright bass with her impeccable timing along with solid and imaginative bass lines and vocal harmonies.

For more info please visit www.isisasheville.com, www.TownMountain.net, and www.larrykeel.com. For more about MANNA FoodBank please visit  www.mannafoodbank.org .

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Larry Keel Experience w/ Jeff Sipe at Oskar Blues’ 3rd Annual NYE Hootenanny in Brevard, NC along with Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, Mike Guggino & Jon Stickley Trio

The Larry Keel Experience with Jeff Sipe
at the 3rd Annual New Year’s Eve Hootenanny at Oskar Blues
Wednesday, December 31 at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC

The New Year’s Eve Experience:
The Larry Keel Experience with Jeff Sipe
PLUS
Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book (of the Infamous Stringdusters)
Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry (of Acoustic Syndicate)
Mike Guggino (of the Steep Canyon Rangers)
AND THE
Jon Stickley Trio

Show Details:
This event is 21+ only; 7pm ‘til after the beer drops
$30 adv/ $40 dos, Locals-only $20 tickets for a limited time at the Tasty Weasel
Package ticket includes entry to the CANuary 1st Hangover Brunch at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch in Hendersonville, NC on 1/1/15 -$100

Oskar Blues Brewery
342 Mountain Industrial Dr Brevard, NC 28712
http://brew.oskarblues.com/events/nye-brevard

*********************************

The Larry Keel Experience is excited that Jeff Sipe is joining the band for the evening to perform at The 3rd Annual Holiday Hootenanny at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Based in Lexington, VA, the Larry Keel Experience is Larry Keel on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Jenny Keel on stand up bass and harmony vocals, and Will Lee on Banjo and lead vocals. Also performing for NYE are Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book (of the Infamous Stringdusters), Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry (of Acoustic Syndicate), Mike Guggino (of the Steep Canyon Rangers), and the Jon Stickley Trio.

The NEW Oskar Blues CHUBurger food truck will be slingin’ the goods throughout the evening and a photobooth will be onsite to capture all of your NYE memories (so that you don’t have to). Hotel specials are available, just check the Oskar Blues website for more info. The Oskar Blues trolley will be making the rounds to local hotels and downtown Brevard to give you a safe ride to and from the Hootenanny. Trips will start at 6 p.m. and the trolley will stop at each stop roughly every 30-40 minutes. Tickets are on sale now and more information is at http://brew.oskarblues.com/events/nye-brevard.

The CAN’uary 1st Hangover Brunch will be hosted the following afternoon at noon at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch, their new 145-acre farm that is located about 8 miles from the Brevard-based Oskar Blues brewery in Hendersonville, NC. The January 1, 2015 brunch will be hosted by Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Sarah Siskind, and Larry & Jenny Keel. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation. Included in the $80 ticket price (or as part of the NYE package deal) are a Southern-style family-style meal, drinks (including Mama-mosas and Café con FIDY), and the exclusive VIP concert.  Limited tickets are available. The CAN’d Aid Foundation will give an update on their work in our community and the work ahead in 2015.

Larry Keel has had a fantastic 2014 and is excited to celebrate with you! Some highlights include his appearance with Sam Bush at this year’s Lockn’ Festival and he’s been on tour with Yonder Mountain String Band throughout South east, Mid West, North East this fall. He’ll be heading to Puerto Morelos, Mexico w/ all the Bluegrass buddies to play Strings and Sol in Mexico in mid-Dec. Also, stay tuned for more information on an upcoming studio release due out in the spring of 2015 with some very special guests!

Larry Keel is described by some reviewers as the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating acoustic flatpicking guitarist performing today. Keel has absorbed the best lessons from 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 composing original music. He’s also got a knack for choosing interesting and appealing material from all realms of music with guts, whether it’s a tune written by a fellow songwriter/musician friend, or a tasty cover from any number of genres all over the map.

Keel has a variety of musical formats swirling around the calendar each year: look out for his core band, The Larry Keel Experience (featuring Will Lee on soulful, blues-grass 5 string banjo, penetrating vocals and exceptional song-writing contributions and Jenny Keel on upright bass, with impeccable timing, solid yet imaginative bass lines and vocal harmonies). “Hot and fluent bluegrass act showcasing Larry Keel’s dazzling guitar skills and gruff, baritone vocals, wife Jenny’s granite-firm bass guitar work… Good folks, amazing roots music,” writes Tad Dickens with the Roanoke Times.

Other projects of Keel’s include Larry Does Jerry (Keel performing the music of Jerry Garcia), Keller Williams and The Keels, Keel paired with artists such as Drew Emmitt, Danny Barnes, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, and a multitude of guest spots in great bands on the tour circuit including the Traveling McCourys, Steep Canyon Rangers, Infamous Stringdusters, and Greensky Bluegrass.

The versatility of his talents is pretty irresistible, and has earned Keel the highest respect and billing among the top acoustic musicians alive, and some now gone: Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan, and 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, Little Feat, Rebirth Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass, Railroad Earth, members of String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon, amongst others.

Throughout his career, Keel has released 14 albums and is featured on 10 others. The most recent release, March 2012, is CLASSIC, the 3rd album recorded by Keel and his powerhouse ensemble, Natural Bridge. The project is filled with originals written variously by Keel, the band members or by musician/song-writer friends. “Classic is not a derivative work stuck in the quagmire of a romanticized past. It’s forward-thinking, spontaneous, audacious, and full of surprises. Fresh. All the Keel’s are doing is watering the seeds the old Masters planted and widening the Circle a little bit,” writes Robert Kimmel with Bluegrass Today.

For Keel the musical mission is always clear: to let technical skill, honest emotion and fearlessness connect the playing and singing to audiences, to entertain and to thoroughly enjoy the experience of creating and sharing in music.

Larry Keel Experience on Tour
11/11 Tue – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC*
11/12 Wed – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT*
11/13 Thu – Paradise Rock Club     Boston, MA*
11/14 Fri –  Theatre of the Living Art – Philadelphia, PA*
11/15 Sat – Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY*
11/21 Fri – The Lincoln Theatre – Marion, VA
12/05 Fri- The Southern Charlottesville, VA
12/06 Sat – Acoustic Stage Concert Series – Hickory, NC
12/11-15 – Larry Keel at Strings & Sol – Puerto Morelos, Mexico
12/19 Fri – Clementine Cafe – Harrisonburg, VA
12/31 Wed – – Oskar Blues Brewery – Brevard, NC %
01/01/15 Thu – Oskar Blues REEB Ranch – Hendersonville, NC ^

* LKE w/ Yonder Mountain
% LKE w/ Jeff Sipe. Alsoperforming are Jeremy Garrett & Travis Book, Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, Mike Guggino, and the Jon Stickley Trio
^ The CAN’uary 1st Hangover Brunch with Jeremy Garrett, Travis Book, Sarah Siskind, and Larry & Jenny Keel. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit Oskar Blues CAN’d Aid Foundation.

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Message from the Keels: Recaps From The Festy & Harvest Fest as well as Bass and Grass News!

Here’s a fun message from Larry and Jenny Keel:

It’s been an absolutely beautiful and magical fall festival season for the Keel crew, rolling around America’s hills and dales and doing our thang!

The Festy in Roseland, VA was an epic weekend of ideal festivating! Hosted by the wildly talented Infamous Stringdusters, this event represents all the best best elements of a great and inspiring music festival- loved all the collaborations the jams and pickin around the campfire were wide open and memorable, to say the least (larry’s guitar head stock smells like barbecue now! it’s got some awesome mojo in it forever more!) .. a stage highlight was seeing that nuclear jam during the Toubab Krew set, when Larry and members of the String Dusters got up with em and blew the roof off the place.. our new favorite version of ‘Cluck Ol Hen’!

Then we bolted across the middle of the country and headed over to Yonder Mountain String Band’s Harvest Fest, in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.. spectacular autumn scenery, awesome property there at Mulberry Mountain- and a perfect music festival, complete with amazing stage acts, killer art and vending everywhere, and lots of spontaneous pickin jams among the world class artists- Larry and Will Lee, Scott Law and Darol Anger spent a whole late afternoon jammin away behind the main stage… late night picks included Keel, Mark Schimick, Will Lee, Drew Emmitt, Bill Nershi, Andy Thorn, gals and guys from Elephant Revival and Railroad Earth! all crammed into an RV ! super fun- look out for flipped out video on all that- coming soon! Stage highlights included Larry and Adam Aijala’s guitar duo set, with special guest Darol Anger, our Keel and Natural Bridge set, with a grand finale including almost all of the Greensky Bluegrass dudes, and then a wonderfully deep and spiritual set by Peter Rowan, on his own- he got Larry up to do some tunes with just the 2 of them.. on their guitars- Pete said he wanted to test drive a new tune he had just written that morning, and he wanted Larry and he to explore it together, on the spot.. it was awesome- look out for footage on that soon too!

And now! Stokin the home fires back in VA (well, getting the wood ready for the winter, more like it!), and preparing for our next adventure! Bass and Grass down on our favorite lake in the South: Goose Lake, near Perry GA.. join us and fishin/pickin/partyin instructors Jeff Mosier, David Blackmon, Steve McMurry and Gove Scrivenor as we dig in for a weekend of country style resort music and nature retreat together ! no need to know how to play an instrument- you just gotta know how to smile! bring it on, Oct 27-30!

Larry Keel Tour Dates:

Fishin and Pickin
Larry Keel, Jenny Keel, Mark Schimick, Will Lee
10/27-30/11 BASS and GRASS 4 Green Bell Bed and Barn Perry, GA

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge
10/16/11 LKNB HARVEST MUSIC FESTIVAL Ozark, AR
11/03/11 LKNB Boone Saloon Boone, NC
11/05/11 LKNB Private Eastern, NC
11/10/11 Eric Anderson’s Birthday Bash O’Neill’s Pub Lexington, KY
11/11/11 LKNB 123 Pleasant Street Morgantown, WV
11/12/11 LKNB Coffeepot Roanoke, VA
11/18/11 LKNB Gottrocks Greenville, SC
11/19/11 LKNB Private Somewhere, GA
12/09/11 LKNB Legal Grounds Rutherfordton, NC
12/10/11 LKNB Pour House Charleston, SC
02/04/12 LKNB Shepherdstown Opera House Shepherdstown, WV

Keel Brothers
Larry Keel – Guitar and vocals Gary Keel – Guitar and vocals
11/25/11 Larry & Gary Keel Bulls and Bears Pub Hagerstown, MD
11/26/11 Larry & Gary Keel Richardsville Firehall Richardsville, VA

Keller and the Keels
Keller Williams – Guitar and vocals Larry Keel – Guitar and vocals Jenny Keel – Bass and Harmonies
12/31/11 Keller and the Keels Brooklyn Performing Arts Center Wilmington, NC
01/09/12 Keller and the Keels JAM CRUISE 10 Ft. Lauderdale, FL

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11-11-11 Eve Party with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge in Lexington Kentucky

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge and Grayson Capps at O’Neills Irish Pub.

Doors at 6pm and music at 8pm.
Thursday, November 10 at 6pm – November 11 at 1am

Tickets are available at CD Central and O’Neill’s (after 3pm).

$11 advance, $ 15 at the door…

2051 Richmond Rd
Suite 140
Lexington, KY.
(859) 266-4488

oneillslex.com

And, for all of you out there who love, hate, tolerate, or just admire his long flowing locks, it’s Eric Anderson’s birthday party too!

Here’s a note from Eric about the evening:

It’s My Birthday! It’s My Birthday!
Let’s Have A Party, That’s Right A Party!

11-11-11 is a big Birthday for me and I’d like to share it with as many of you that I can so I’ve scheduled a great night of music that includes Larry Keel and Natural Bridge & Grayson Capps.

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge is one of my favorite Bluegrass ensembles I know. Larry is a master guitar player and a champion flatpicker, any guitar player should see him. His band is full of very talented musicians as well, consisting of his lovely wife Jenny Keel on Bass, Mark Schimick on Mandolin and Will Lee on Banjo. It’s Bluegrass with an edge.

Grayson Capps is a down & dirty Delta Blues singer/songwriter from New Orleans. He has more stories than any one man should know. The richness of his songs lies both in the real life truths of the lyrical story as well as well as the gruff and sometimes tender delivery of the music. His music was used for the movie “Love Song For Bobby Long” and, as well as being in it, he was the one to help educate John Travolta on how to be Bobby Long.

Either of these acts are worthy of the ticket price but come celebrate with me and you get them both. Maybe you’re just a number person like me and 11-11-11 is in itself something to celebrate. Either way I hope to see y’all there.

Here is the facebook event page for this event as well: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=229866403733902

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Larry Keel’s “Sound Check” is on the Soundtrack for New Fly Fishing Film – CONNECT- by Confluence Films

This just in!!  The Larry Keel Experience has a sound track included in a new film by Confluence Films.  They do WORLD CLASS movies about fly fishing, really the absolute best in the industry and the Keels are excited to be part of this one! Far be it from Larry Keel and his fast-pickin, fishin master band to miss out on an opportunity to be involved in a FISH PORN project as cool as this! no lover of travel, nature, exciting settings and music can resist!!

For this latest project, Confluence Films used one of Larry Keel Experience’s instrumental’s “Sound Check” in the Alaska segment of the movie. This tune was written by Will Lee and performed by The Larry Keel Experience on their self-titled album. Find out more about Larry Keel at www.larrykeel.com

Click here to check out the new trailer for CONNECT.

Confluence Films brings you their biggest project yet! In 2008 they brought you DRIFT. In 2009 it was RISE Now their most ambitious project yet- CONNECT. 2 Years in the making. 6 International locations. 12 Anglers. 10 species. 1 Angry Croc. On DVD and Blue Ray November 4th 2001.

The film will premiere Saturday, October 8th, 2011 at the Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, MT. Sponsors for CONNECT include Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Hatch Reels and Simms Fishing Products.

You will have the chance to view the new movie “on the Big Screen” by attending one of the Screening events in Bozeman, MT (10/8 & 10/13)  —  Salt Lake City, UT (10/18)  —  Bend, OR (10/20)  —  Johannesburg, South Africa (11/25)

Check back to http://www.confluencefilms.tv/tour.php on a regular basis for more tour dates that will be added soon.

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Fishin and Pickin with Larry and Jenny Keel!

Festival season, and Fishin season, are on and the Keels are making their rounds across the country. Both Larry and Jenny Keel did a couple of great inerviews that were published last week.  Here are some excerpts:

Flat-picking guitar player Larry Keel lives a simple life of bluegrass and fishing for bass, trout or about anything else with fins.  By Bill Lynch with the WV Gazette.

Flat-picker Larry Keel is pretty much exactly how he sounds — a down-to-earth, plain-spoken country boy who just happens to be one of the best bluegrass guitarists in the country.

. . .   . . .   . . .

Sometimes, he comes for the music. Sometimes, he comes for the fishing. Sometimes, he comes for both. Keel loves to fish almost as much as he loves to play bluegrass.

“I try to fish wherever I go,” he said. “We travel a lot, and I’m always looking for a watering hole — any place where I can cast a line.”

A few years ago, he and a couple of partners got the idea to combine sport fishing with bluegrass picking. They started a company called Fishin and Pickin.

. . .   . . .    . . .

Finding like minds has never been too difficult for Keel. He’s always had a talent for surrounding himself with or finding people who, like him, are dedicated to making quality music — and like to fish. Aside from and sometimes alongside his band, Keel often collaborates with artists like Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna’s Jorma Kaukonen and indie folk rocker Keller Williams.

“I’ve got a band I really love,” he said. “We’ve got Mark Schimick on mandolin, and he’s just a powerhouse. Will Lee plays the five-string banjo.”

Lee is the son of bluegrass guitarist Rickey Lee, who played guitar and sang with the Stanley Brothers.

“Will and me have been playing together for about 25 years now,” Keel said.

The two met while performing during the Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Va. They’ve been fishing for nearly as long.

Keel’s wife, Jenny, rounds out the quartet, playing upright bass and singing harmony.

“The music is really tight,” he said. “It’s just sounding so good.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://wvgazette.com/Entertainment/201105041492

and here is a nice interview with Jenny Keel:

Bluegrass artist reels in wife, bandmate. Musician creates website for anglers, pickers

by Monica Orosz CharlestonDaily Mail

Larry Keel might be hard-pressed to choose between his two passions: bluegrass and fishing.

In fact, on a day set aside for interviews, Keel got a chance to go fishing and with the blessing of his wife and bandmate, Jenny, he went.

“I actually love to fish, too, but I have to hold down the fort,” she joked from their Virginia home.

Fortunately, he finds ways to combine the two – he recently launched a new project and Website called Fishin’ and Pickin’ at www.fishinandpickin.com.

The site has lots of fishing and music tips and a schedule of workshops and camps Keel and friends host on live water properties that teach fellow musicians how to improve both their picking skills and their hooking skills.

. . .    . . .    . . .Jenny said these days the band members prefer to be weekend warriors, although they can do three shows in a long weekend when they plan strategically.

She said they need the time at home, not just to fish, but to handle the logistics.

“We’re very self-managed and self-produced,” she said.

Larry currently is working on his next album, with 13 others already under his belt.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.dailymail.com/Entertainment/201105041626?page=2&build=cache

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Find out more about Larry Keel & Natural Bridge’s banjo player, Will Lee, as he talks about his musical upbringing and Trout & Tunes

Larry Keel, Natural Bridge and Elk River Inn/Restaurant are planning one of most unique bluegrass weekends ever offered in the Mid Atlantic states. You don’t want to miss this rare opportunity to attend a 3-day fishin and pickin weekend at the base of Snow Shoe Mountain In WV from April 28th- May 1st! Find out more at: http://larrykeel.com/uncategorized/fishin-and-pickin-presents-trout-tunes/

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge’s Banjo player, Will Lee, did a wonderful interview with Erin O’Neill from Graffiti Magazine in WV about the event. Here are some excerpts:

From a young age, Will Lee knew he wanted to be a performer. Growing up with musicians on both sides of his family, it was a natural progression for Lee to follow in their footsteps.

His father, Rickey Lee, was a well-known guitarist with the Bluegrass Tarheels, special proteges of Bill Monroe and later, lead guitarist for the Stanley Brothers. On his mom’s side, Grandpa Clark was a fine ragtime pianist whose two sons both play guitar.

Lee’s choice of instrument, the banjo, was passed down from his grandfather and namesake, William Penmon Lee, a respected clawhammer banjo player in Alabama and Mississippi.

After high school, young Will Lee began playing festivals and caught up with 19-year-old Larry Keel, a flat-picking phenom. The duo were soon joined by Danny Knicely and John Flower on mandolin and bass and Magraw Gap was born.

Now Lee is joining Keel once again to bring his two loves together — pickin’ and fishin’.

. . .   . . .   …

Graffiti: Do you play primarily bluegrass or do you dabble in other genres?

Lee: Up until the time I met Larry Keel, Danny Knicely and Rex Mcgee, I was primarily a bluegrass banjo picker. And although I still hold down the bluegrass end in the band, I like doing the reggae and rock covers that we do. I like getting spacey, too.

Graffiti: What is it about “mountain music” that inspires you to keep going out and doing what you do?

Lee: It is basically the roots of many mainstream musics and I’m a third generation musician who respects where it all came from.

Graffiti: Tell me how you got hooked up with Larry Keel.

Lee: I met Larry Keel at Galax Fiddlers Convention and he was 16 and I was a couple years older – haha – I saw him in a jam session playing the fastest, hottest Tony Rice licks I’d ever heard. So I convinced him to come hang out with me and my brother and we’ve been pickin’ ever since.

Graffiti: What’s the deal with Trout and Tunes? Why combine these two things and what, specifically, will you be doing at the event?

Lee: At Trout and Tunes we are going to be hanging out doing some music workshops, having some jam sessions and fishing in some great West Virginia trout waters -both of which are two of my passions. I will be doing banjo workshops to hopefully help some folks that are just beginning and want to learn some new licks or some of my style of banjo or just to pick some tunes. And I plan on trying to catch some trout on the fly rod.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://graffitiwv.com/page/content.detail/id/501205/Lee–Have-banjo–will-travel.html?nav=5017

LKNB Photo by Vikas Nambiar

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