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JohnP |
www.fellswoopband.com
Playing Since: 2005
Experience Level: Purty Good
Interests:
[Teaching] [Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]
Age: 49
My Instruments:
Banjo, guitar, drums
Classified Rating: not rated
Rate this Member
Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 9/8/2005
Last Visit 4/12/2011
"…bluegrass roots music with some unexpected new twists." -Kadmus Arts Emerging in 2007 as Lehigh Valley's "Best New Artist" (Lehigh Valley Music Awards), Fellswoop is a modern-day/old-time hybrid; combining traditional sounds and contemporary song-writing. Multi-instrumentalist, Chris Murphy fronts the band with a prominent acoustic guitar style and heartfelt vocals; often drifting from the usual bluegrass formula, into a less-predictable, improvisational style; utilizing foot pedals and acoustic effects. Chris’s sound is accompanied by JP on the five string banjo, with whom he started the band. As a duo, Chris and JP recorded a 4-song debut (now out-of-print), which showcased their original songs. The self-titled CD opened the door to a wide range of gig-opportunities, and earned Fellswoop a soundtrack-slot in a feature-length independent film, titled Nacho Mountain, starring Comedy Central’s Jay Larson. The bass player and third vocalist void was soon filled by upstate New York native- Tom Evans. As a trio, the band covered an enormous amount of ground. Spanning the Pennsylvania / New York region from Allentown to New York City, Philadelphia to Ithaca and everywhere in between, Fellswoop heeded their calling in the Spring and Summer of ’08, appearing at numerous festivals such as Allentown's Mayfair Festival of the Arts, Fetish Fest in Upstate NY, Utica Fest, and Muse Fest; sharing the stage with such acts as Rusted Root, Ron Palmer, and SeepeopleS. The year culminated with the band‘s first venture into the recording studio together, as well as a late-night appearance at the Lehigh Valley Music Awards ceremony, where they took home “Best Live Americana.“ Fellswoop started 2009 with a New Year’s Eve show in front of a full-house at internationally acclaimed folk-circuit club: Godfrey Daniels. The press had this to say: “Fellswoop will let you decide if they are a jam band or a bluegrass group...No matter what they are; Fellswoop has an upbeat style and optimism. The fun they have playing quickly communicates itself to audiences in one fell swoop." -Dave Howell; The Morning Call The band’s 2009 full-length CD, “Against the Odds” went into rotation at numerous radio stations, including Roots WXLV in the Lehigh Valley, WMUH in Allentown, PA, and RadioVolta.org in Philadelphia. “Against The Odds fully embodies the significance of traditional bluegrass: people’s music from the mountains. It’s not about where you come from...It’s about where your soul lives. ” – Origivation Magazine Fellswoop has shared the stage with the legendary Tony Trischka, as well as Gordon Stone, Hot Buttered Rum, Donna The Buffalo, Chris Baron of the Spin Doctors, and many more. Fellswoop continues to perform annually on their home turf at the country’s biggest/longest-running music festival: Musikfest, in Bethlehem, PA. With the recent addition of Drummer/percussionist/fourth vocalist- Josh Kanusky, Fellswoop is reaching new heights, and opening new doors in their musical exploration. Fellswoop will be somewhere and everywhere in 2010. "The New Year is always ripe with change; this is immensely the case with Fellswoop." –Merge Digital
