Hickory Strings Biography
Hickory Strings blends elements of jazz, bluegrass, classical, world, and folk music into a unique brand of modern American chamber music. The resulting compositions and improvisations are unclassifiable. The group’s versatility has led to performances in concert halls, bars, coffee shops, festivals, schools, libraries, and is one of the few groups truly suitable for nearly any venue.
The group was founded in 2006 by mandolinist/guitarist/composer Geoff Brown. In collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Mark Whitaker, they recorded the debut album, Geoff Brown and Hickory Strings. The record featured an eclectic set of originals and some traditional Celtic tunes arranged for mandolin, banjo, upright bass, and guitar.
While performing music from that recording, the Hickory Strings duo encountered bassist Gian Pangaro during a shared concert with his group, Three Tall Pines. Gian joined the group shortly after and the chemistry of the trio was immediately apparent. Since then, Gian has been actively performing concerts with Hickory Strings throughout New England and adds a third dimension to the music, bringing his strong background in bluegrass, jazz, and classical music. In 2008, the trio recorded the album Patches and performed the music from that recording extensively over the next few years.
During the years following the Patches recording, mandolinist and bandleader Geoff Brown pursued a Masters Degree in the classical conservatory, Longy School of Music. The experience inspired a challenging project: an album of duets for mandolin and banjo. The album Duo was recorded by expert engineer Garrett Sawyer and brilliant mastering engineer Jeff Lipton. The 2011 release received fantastic reviews and is a unique contribution to the mandolin/banjo repertoire. With the momentum following the Duo release, the group's popularity led to an exciting performance schedule with concerts across MA, NY, ME, VT, RI, CT, and a 6-month residency at Boston’s famed Cantab Lounge bluegrass night.
After 6 years with the group, banjoist Mark Whitaker took an indefinite break from working with the band to pursue other musical ventures and multi-instrumentalist Tev Stevig joined the eclectic ensemble. A kindred spirit, Tev fit right into the mix with his passion for creating new acoustic music. The group is currently developing repertoire for a new recording. Over the years, Hickory Strings has become a hometown favorite and is drawing attention from fans far beyond the boundaries of Boston with music that pushes far beyond the boundaries of bluegrass.
The group was founded in 2006 by mandolinist/guitarist/composer Geoff Brown. In collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Mark Whitaker, they recorded the debut album, Geoff Brown and Hickory Strings. The record featured an eclectic set of originals and some traditional Celtic tunes arranged for mandolin, banjo, upright bass, and guitar.
While performing music from that recording, the Hickory Strings duo encountered bassist Gian Pangaro during a shared concert with his group, Three Tall Pines. Gian joined the group shortly after and the chemistry of the trio was immediately apparent. Since then, Gian has been actively performing concerts with Hickory Strings throughout New England and adds a third dimension to the music, bringing his strong background in bluegrass, jazz, and classical music. In 2008, the trio recorded the album Patches and performed the music from that recording extensively over the next few years.
During the years following the Patches recording, mandolinist and bandleader Geoff Brown pursued a Masters Degree in the classical conservatory, Longy School of Music. The experience inspired a challenging project: an album of duets for mandolin and banjo. The album Duo was recorded by expert engineer Garrett Sawyer and brilliant mastering engineer Jeff Lipton. The 2011 release received fantastic reviews and is a unique contribution to the mandolin/banjo repertoire. With the momentum following the Duo release, the group's popularity led to an exciting performance schedule with concerts across MA, NY, ME, VT, RI, CT, and a 6-month residency at Boston’s famed Cantab Lounge bluegrass night.
After 6 years with the group, banjoist Mark Whitaker took an indefinite break from working with the band to pursue other musical ventures and multi-instrumentalist Tev Stevig joined the eclectic ensemble. A kindred spirit, Tev fit right into the mix with his passion for creating new acoustic music. The group is currently developing repertoire for a new recording. Over the years, Hickory Strings has become a hometown favorite and is drawing attention from fans far beyond the boundaries of Boston with music that pushes far beyond the boundaries of bluegrass.
Geoff Brown - mandolin, tenor banjo, Bulgarian tambura
GEOFF BROWN is an eclectic musician, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, author, and composer from Boston, MA. Gaining most of his training on guitar and mandolin, he has played in many groups ranging from classical and jazz to funk, rock, bluegrass, American folk, and many “world” music traditions including Klezmer, Bulgarian, and Celtic. His broad and varied musical background has helped him carve a unique niche as an independent artist. He has released nine recordings and has performed extensively throughout New England. He holds a Performance Certificate from the Guitar Institute of Technology (Hollywood, CA), a B.A. in Music from Tufts University (Medford, MA), where he graduated summa cum laude, and a M.M. from Longy School of Music (Cambridge, MA), where he graduated with distinction. Geoff has also authored and published instructional books for both mandolin and guitar. As a teacher, he has been part of the faculty at Powers Music School and The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, has taught for National Guitar Workshop summer camps, and is part of the applied music faculty at Tufts University. He currently resides in the Boston area where he teaches, composes, performs, and records with his group Hickory Strings. For more about Geoff, including information about private lessons, books, and recordings, visit his website – www.GeoffBrownMusic.com
Gian Pangaro - bass
GIAN PANGARO was born, raised, and schooled in Boston. He came to music relatively late, beginning guitar at age 12. For the past 14 years, he has concentrated on Double Bass as his main instrument, while still playing the guitar and dobro as side interests. Since picking up the bass, he has studied with several of Boston’s best teachers and appeared in many ensembles in Boston and San Francisco. Gian earned a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University where he graduated cum laude and a M.S. from MIT where he served as principle bassist for the MIT symphony orchestra. While pursuing his degrees, he was was a member of the Bach Society Orchestra, the Harvard Jazz Band, and the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his work with Hickory Strings, Gian was the longtime bassist and a founding member of Three Tall Pines, a local americana and bluegrass band. Gian can be heard on the Patches record.
Tev Stevig - oud, National steel guitar, banjo
Multi-instrumentalist Tev Stevig is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music where he studied jazz guitar performance with Mick Goodrick, John Damien, and Hal Crook, among others. He has also studied various performance styles on many plucked string instruments from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, including the Bulgarian and Macedonian tambura, Greek laouto, Turkish oud, cumbus, tanbur, and baglama. Recently, Tev has incorporated elements of music from the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey into his original compositions and arrangements for fretless guitar, performed clawhammer style. This style (otherwise known as frailing) is closely associated with old time American folk music played on the banjo and has it’s roots in Africa. Tev also plays electric guitar in several ensembles and is particularly fond of Travis-picking and fingerstyle folk on acoustic guitar, which he incorporates into his arrangements and original music. Tev teaches at Berklee College of Music’s City Music program, Powers Music School, and the Lexington Montessori. His most recent performance projects include Jeni Jol, Kafana, Klezwoods, Hickory Strings, Orkestra Marhaba, Aljashu, DUNYA, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica, and he recently performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
The following musicians appear on Hickory Strings recordings and/or as special guests at concerts:
Mark Whitaker - banjo
MARK WHITAKER was a core band member who helped shape the group's sound from 2006-2012. He can be heard on the Geoff Brown and Hickory Strings, Patches, and Duo recordings and has performed extensively with the group over his 6 years with the ensemble.
Mark is a Boston-based banjoist who has performed extensively throughout New England. Originally from Maryland, Mark developed his musical foundation through studying 10 years of classical piano. While earning his B.A. in Philosophy at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, Mark expanded his musical interests and began studying banjo. Mark has spent the last 10 years specializing in banjo and has developed a unique approach which incorporates his strong foundation on piano. In 2011, he was the winner of the Tony Trischka Deering Banjo Contest. Mark holds a Specialist Certificate in Music Theory from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and currently resides in Jamaica Plain. For more information about Mark's music, visit his website: www.MarkWhitakerMusic.com
Mark is a Boston-based banjoist who has performed extensively throughout New England. Originally from Maryland, Mark developed his musical foundation through studying 10 years of classical piano. While earning his B.A. in Philosophy at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, Mark expanded his musical interests and began studying banjo. Mark has spent the last 10 years specializing in banjo and has developed a unique approach which incorporates his strong foundation on piano. In 2011, he was the winner of the Tony Trischka Deering Banjo Contest. Mark holds a Specialist Certificate in Music Theory from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and currently resides in Jamaica Plain. For more information about Mark's music, visit his website: www.MarkWhitakerMusic.com
Eva Walsh - fiddle
EVA WALSH has joined Hickory Strings on many bluegrass-oriented shows including much of the 2011 Cantab Lounge Residency and the 2012 Bluegrass on the Bogs Festival.
Eva is a singer-songwriter and fiddler with deep musical roots. Originally from Minnesota, and the daughter of two public school music teachers, Eva started violin lessons at the age of 5 and developed into a promising classical violinist. After high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance at Vanderbilt University. Eva took full advantage of her time in Music City by exploring a variety of musical genres including jazz, bluegrass, folk, old-time, pop and indie music, all of which influenced her personal songwriting style. By the time she graduated college, it was clear Eva had found her "voice"-- she recorded an album in her dorm room, dropped her plans to go to graduate school, and moved to Boston by herself in pursuit of a fresh start and a new city in which to launch her music career. Eva's warm, fun-loving personality, “perfect” pitch, and adaptability as a singer and multi-instrumentalist involves her in a variety of musical projects in and around the Boston area, besides her work on her first studio-produced solo album. Visit her website for more information: www.EvaWalsh.com
Eva is a singer-songwriter and fiddler with deep musical roots. Originally from Minnesota, and the daughter of two public school music teachers, Eva started violin lessons at the age of 5 and developed into a promising classical violinist. After high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance at Vanderbilt University. Eva took full advantage of her time in Music City by exploring a variety of musical genres including jazz, bluegrass, folk, old-time, pop and indie music, all of which influenced her personal songwriting style. By the time she graduated college, it was clear Eva had found her "voice"-- she recorded an album in her dorm room, dropped her plans to go to graduate school, and moved to Boston by herself in pursuit of a fresh start and a new city in which to launch her music career. Eva's warm, fun-loving personality, “perfect” pitch, and adaptability as a singer and multi-instrumentalist involves her in a variety of musical projects in and around the Boston area, besides her work on her first studio-produced solo album. Visit her website for more information: www.EvaWalsh.com
