St Louis Flatpick From Years Past
Tim May
Flatpicker Tim May has been working in the Nashville area for
over 20 years as a sideman, session player, band member and performer. Higher profile
projects have included touring with Patty
Loveless and John Cowan, and working as a
regular on the Grand Ole Opry with Mike
Snider. Tim was the solo guitarist on Charlie Daniels' recording of
I'll Fly Away, which was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental
Performance Grammy in 2005, the same year he was session leader on the critically
acclaimed Moody Bluegrass album (Moody
Bluegrass II is currently in the works as well). Elixir Strings, Benedetto Guitars and Breedlove Guitars all have presented
professional endorsements to Tim, a serious nod to his talents. For fifteen years Tim
was a member of Crucial Smith, a powerful bluegrass act that put out two CDs (produced
by New Grass
Revival's original flatpicker Pat Flynn) before disbanding in 2003. Flynn has a
Tim May tune (King of Babylon) on his latest album plus Father Time, a tune Flynn
co-wrote with Tim. Today Tim keeps his chops up playing
"AmeriCeltic"; a delightful mix of
Irish, Scottish, Old Time and Bluegrass tunes; with his band
Plaidgrass. The group released their first CD
in January 2008. He's also on the roster of Radiola and performs in a hot-picking
ensemble on tour with Brad Davis and
Dan Miller. As good a singer as he is a
flatpicker, Tim's vocals can be heard on his first solo album, Find
My Way Back and on A
Bluegrass Tribute to Neil Young, a CD Tim's produced for
CMH Records, released in January 2008. In
2008, he combined forces with Fred
Carpenter to form Carpenter & May
. In 2010, their debut CD was released on Violin Shop Records, and Carpenter & May
charted as the #1 artist with the #1 album at folk radio.
Tyler Grant
National Flatpicking Champion Tyler Grant is a versatile guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with a wide range of musical expertise. He is an internationally recognized guitar virtuoso with two solo albums and an impressive resume as a session musician, bandleader and sideman. He has shared the stage with such luminaries as Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile, John Oates, Steve Kaufman, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band and The String Cheese Incident. Tyler showcases his powerful and original style of Flatpicking on his latest CD release, Up the Neck. His current band project, The Grant Farm, is taking root and growing fast.
Tyler graduated from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 2000 with a Bachelors degree in Guitar Performance. After moving to Nashville from Southern California in 2003 he joined Adrienne Young’s band and toured with her for nearly two years, acting as musical director and playing on her acclaimed CDs Plow the End of the Row and The Art of Virtue. In 2004 he joined Casey and Chris Henry and the Two-Stringers. In the fall of 2004 he toured China with Abigail Washburn and Friends and appeared on her Song of the Traveling Daughter CD. During the first half of 2005 he toured with phenomenal Canadian fiddler April Verch. Tyler revealed his talents as a singer and songwriter with his first solo album, In The Light, released in June 2006 on FGM Records.
Tyler took first place honors at the Rockygrass guitar contest in 2003, the Wayne Henderson festival contest in 2005, the 2008 New England Flatpicking Championship, the 2009 Doc Watson Guitar Championship at Merlefest and became the National Flatpicking Champion for placing first at Winfield in 2008. He has been an instructor at CalArts, Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, Augusta Heritage Center Bluegrass Week and Grand Targhee Music Camp. He has been featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. He lives in Lyons, Colorado, where he writes music, enjoys the outdoors, teaches lessons and records for Grant Central Records.
Bull Harman
No stranger in the Midwest when you mention guitar playing, Bull has won numerous awards doing just that. A respected instructor and teacher in his field, Bull also traveled for several years with Rhonda Vincent and in 1999 formed his own band, "Bull's Eye" which he still performs with today. Bull and his band recently won 2009 National Single Mic Championship at Silver Dollar City. He holds the title of SPGMBA Midwest Guitar Player of the Year for 2004, 2006 & 2007. Bull has 2 solo projects that have received high recognition titled "Bull's Eye" and "Rosewood, Spruce & Ebony".
