WOOD BELLY

WOOD BELLY
MAN ON THE RADIO

Belly Up Records
No Number

It is always good to pay attention to the Telluride Band Contest winners every year, as it can give you a peak into the up-and-coming bands out West that may be new to the East Coast radar. Wood Belly is a Colorado-based band that met at Rockygrass and won the aforementioned Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in 2018.

The Colorado bluegrass scene has produced some great bands over the decades from Hot Rize on down, all inspired by the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains and the wide-open way of living life. The members of Wood Belly, featuring Craig Patterson on guitar, Chris Ryan Weist on mandolin, Chris Zink on resonator guitar, Aaron McCloskey on banjo, and Taylor Shuck on bass, describe their unique way of making music as “blending traditional bluegrass and modern songwriting.” What’s impressive about the band is that all five of the bandmates sing as well as bring high-quality picking to the table. The group was also given an IBMA Momentum Award nomination in 2018. Deciding to strike while the iron is hot, Wood Belly released their new recording Man On The Radio in January of 2020.

Some of the highlights of the new project include the rollicking “Caroline,” “Can’t Get Behind,” and the coming-of-age tune “Gone Are The Days.” The album is produced by stalwart Sally Van Meter, and the groove on the album is rounded out by the fiddle of Jeremy Garrett of the Infamous Stringdusters. (www.woodbellymusic.com)DH