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| Monroe Crossing- Minnesota's Bluegrass Ambassadors - Biography | |||||
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Lisa Fuglie: Originally from Nigeria, Lisa
learned mandolin from an old Bill Monroe 78rpm record. Though that
old record is long gone, its spirit of Bluegrass remains. Mix in
her international background, and Lisa's performances are truly a cross-continental
and cross-cultural experience! Excelling on all the stringed instruments,
she plays fiddle & mandolin with Monroe Crossing. A stellar vocalist,
she is also a prolific songwriter, solo performer, studio musician, and
educator who has performed with such notables as The Hers, the Outskirts,
and the Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. She received the Folk Arts
Apprenticeship Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to study fiddle
with Minnesota legend Bill Hinkley, and was the recipient of the 2000 Female
Vocalist of the Year Award (in the Related Music category) from the Minnesota
Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association. Lisa plays with the drive
and intensity that defines Bluegrass fiddle, but listen closely and you
will hear a world of experience.
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 Art
Blackburn: Called "a font of creative
flatpicking for decades" by Inside Bluegrass magazine, Art brings to the
band 30 years of experience and a true love for the roots of Bluegrass
music. As band leader of Art & Sandi's Pretty Good Band, Big
Skyota, and The Pretty Good Bluegrass Band, Art brought together some of
the finest musicians in the region and has entertained thousands across
the Midwest. The winner of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time
Music Association’s Bluegrass Guitar Player of the Year Award in 2000,
it was his creative persistence that was the genesis of Monroe Crossing.
Today, Art’s powerful voice, exquisite flatpicking and thoughtful writing
lend a fresh originality to the tradition upon which the band is founded.
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 Matt
Thompson: After a chance encounter with
a Bill Monroe record, a young Matt Thompson instantly fell in love with
this incredible sound and proceeded to order Monroe record after Monroe
record. Mandolin became Matt's instrument of choice, and Bluegrass
a huge part of his life. Within two years his initial group, The
Bluegrass Connection, won First Place at the 1982 Minnesota State Fair
talent contest. Later bands included River Basin Bluegrass, Inside
Track, and Big Skyota with Art Blackburn. In 1997, he co-founded
True Blue and performed on Garrison Keillor’s "A Prairie Home Companion"
and showcased at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention
in Louisville, KY. A superb singer, arranger and the band’s MC,
Matt also plays twin fiddle for Monroe Crossing. And he received
the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association's Bluegrass Mandolin
Player of the Year Award in 2000. Now that Matt has returned to his
traditional roots with Monroe Crossing, you'll hear his heart and soul
in every note.
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Benji Flaming:
From Minneapolis, the band's youngest and newest member is the returning charter member, Benji
Flaming. Benji started playing banjo at age 10, having spent the
previous two years composing and playing "new age"/electronic music on
his family's electronic keyboard. Two years later, he released his first
recording, consisting mainly of Christmas carols arranged for solo
banjo. As a former member of Monroe Crossing, he engineered and played
on the band's critically-acclaimed debut CD, "Across The Blue
Mountains." A multi-instrumentalist, his most recent release (a
collection of alternative rock songs reinterpreted as bluegrass music)
finds him playing banjo, guitar, dobro, and bass, and showcases his
arrangement and engineering skills. He was featured at the International
Bluegrass Music Association's annual FanFest, made multiple appearances
on their "Masters Workshop" stage, and in 2000, was voted "Banjo Player
of the Year" by the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association.
His love for the raw authenticity of bluegrass music is obvious by the
drive and energy of his unique banjo stylings.
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Mark
Anderson: Mark came to Bluegrass after twenty years of playing
bass and drums in a series of "alternative" groups. In 1995, friends
suggested he get a string bass and bring his alternative zeal to the Bluegrass
community. He quickly realized he’d found a musical home and joined
Art Blackburn in Art & Sandi's Pretty Good Band, and later, The Pretty
Good Bluegrass Band. Mark has also performed with The Bluegrass Buddies
and The Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. Mark is acknowledged as
one of the Midwest’s elite Bluegrass bass players. In fact, he was
nominated by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association as
2000 Bassist of the Year in both the Bluegrass and the Related Music categories!
No matter the style or venue, Mark's earthy drive is unmistakably his own
and is sure to set the feet tapping.
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| Contact Information | |
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Mailing Address: Monroe Crossing 17625 Argon Street NW Ramsey MN 55303 Phone: 763-213-1349 |
Join Monroe Crossing
on a 5 day bluegrass cruise
Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico, Jan 17-22, 2009
"Live From Silver Dollar City"
- New all request live disc now shiping!
Click here for more discs!
Monroe Crossing is
proud to be the sponsor of
Bluegrass Forum - Talking about picking
- A resource for bluegrass fans
Check it out by clicking here!
Contact Us!,
Let us know who you are
and what you're thinking!
Lisa Fuglie is proud to
play and endorse
G. Edward Lutherie's
Dahlia 5 string fiddle
Mark Anderson is proud to
play and endorse
G. Edward Lutherie's
Eminence Portable Upright Bass
with a removable neck
People are posting us on Youtube,
see what's there.
Monroe Crossing's Myspace site
be a friend!
Monroe Crossing's Facebook site
be a friend!
Listen to Monroe Crossing's music
at SoundClick.com
CDBaby.com
- All of our music is available at our store
or from the CDBaby website
