Barefoot Manner
Encyclopedia
Barefoot Manner is a four-piece musical group whose sound is rooted in newgrass
, soul
shaking funk
, and musical experimentation. The Boys of Barefoot Manner have a passion for making music and mixing in some positive reggae
and Caribbean vibes. The music has been labeled everything from Americana Groove-grass to Cosmic Funk-grass, to bluegrass and beyond. Essentially, the music of Barefoot Manner is an original blend of bluegrass
instrumentation in a genre-free world. Each live show is a new experience for both the band and its fans and the Manner Men strive for perfection and uniqueness in the music they create.
Jeff Garland on Percussion & vocals, Hank Smith
on Banjo & Electric Banjo & vocals, Shawn Chase, Mandolin & vocals, and the newest member, Leo Kishore on Bass.
Walter Hensey has moved on to focus on his new family, and Dec 31st, 2005, Barefoot Manner played its last show with Walt. David Kleiss left the band at the end of 2006.
. The buzz about Barefoot Manner leading up to the show packed the Pour House and the entire night was magical. Everyone got down. Everyone. The energy was electrifying and the boys of Barefoot Manner decided right then and there that this is what they wanted.
Barefoot Manner spent the majority of 2001 playing extensively throughout North Carolina
, performing with such acts as the Sam Bush Band, Acoustic Syndicate
, the Larry Keel Experience, Blueground Undergrass, and the John Cowan Band. With the continued circulation of bootlegs and the release of their debut studio album, "Mannerisms", in September, the world of Barefoot Manner began to gain momentum.
and Keller Williams
and Salmonfest in August with Leftover Salmon
and Galactic. In September, Barefoot Manner also hosted its first ever outdoor festival called Mannerland and headlined the event for two nights. The group's second album, "Centered", came out in November and Home Grown Music Network stepped up to help circulate. Barefoot Manner did a two night stay at the "Haunted" Pour House in Raleigh, NC for Halloween and then did their New Years show at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC. All in all, 2002 was a year of huge growth for the group, both in its fanbase and musical level.
, officially joined the group over the Summer with his unique banjo skills. The group's Smilefest performance in Union Grove, NC marked the beginning of the five-piece Manner sound as Barefoot Manner played nearly five straight hours and brought the sun up to close out the festival. Barefoot Manner rounded out the Summer by touring out to California
for the first time to play the High Sierra Festival. Upon returning to North Carolina, the guys recorded their 3rd album live in Raleigh on July 26 and 27 at the Aqua Leisure shows. Barefoot Manner welcomed in the Fall with their third festival, Mannerland III, in September. The Halloween show in 2003 showcased Barefoot Manner as a council of Manner jedi with the Star Wars theme in full effect. The New Year's Eve show was at The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC and the event was filmed in hopes of releasing a DVD in the Spring of 2004.
, and Mac & Juice all shared in this special New Year’s event.
Progressive bluegrass
Progressive bluegrass is one of two major subgenres of bluegrass music. It is also known as newgrass, a term attributed to New Grass Revival member Ebo Walker. Musicians and bands John Hartford, New Grass Revival, J.D. Crowe and the New South, The Dillards, Boone Creek, Country Gazette, and the...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
shaking funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, and musical experimentation. The Boys of Barefoot Manner have a passion for making music and mixing in some positive reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and Caribbean vibes. The music has been labeled everything from Americana Groove-grass to Cosmic Funk-grass, to bluegrass and beyond. Essentially, the music of Barefoot Manner is an original blend of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
instrumentation in a genre-free world. Each live show is a new experience for both the band and its fans and the Manner Men strive for perfection and uniqueness in the music they create.
Style
The music of Barefoot Manner started at the turn of the millennium as a bluegrass trio. Walter Hensey, Dave Kleiss, & Shawn Chase would get together and combine their love of music with their desire to become better musicians and play hour after hour, evening after evening, throughout the year. Then in the Fall of 2000, they met Jeff Garland and his percussion world and the now four-piece Barefoot Manner began to develop their unique sound. For months, the Barefoot Boys worked on their music and an inseparable bond began to form between them. They decided it was time to share their music and the Barefoot Manner positive vibe with others.Members
Barefoot Manner is:Jeff Garland on Percussion & vocals, Hank Smith
Hank Smith
Hank "Henry" Smith was a cartoon animator, who worked for many Hollywood animation studios during the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. His work includes numerous cartoons for television, including many featuring Mr. Magoo, The Road Runner, Fat Albert, and many of the Peanuts television specials with...
on Banjo & Electric Banjo & vocals, Shawn Chase, Mandolin & vocals, and the newest member, Leo Kishore on Bass.
Walter Hensey has moved on to focus on his new family, and Dec 31st, 2005, Barefoot Manner played its last show with Walt. David Kleiss left the band at the end of 2006.
2001
On January 27, 2001, Barefoot Manner made their first official appearance at the Pour House in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. The buzz about Barefoot Manner leading up to the show packed the Pour House and the entire night was magical. Everyone got down. Everyone. The energy was electrifying and the boys of Barefoot Manner decided right then and there that this is what they wanted.
Barefoot Manner spent the majority of 2001 playing extensively throughout North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, performing with such acts as the Sam Bush Band, Acoustic Syndicate
Acoustic Syndicate
Acoustic Syndicate is a rock/folk/bluegrass band from North Carolina formed in 1992. They have toured nationally in the US, including appearances at Farm Aid and the Bonnaroo festival. Their sound is characterized by three-part vocal harmony and complex polyrhythmic banjo playing...
, the Larry Keel Experience, Blueground Undergrass, and the John Cowan Band. With the continued circulation of bootlegs and the release of their debut studio album, "Mannerisms", in September, the world of Barefoot Manner began to gain momentum.
2002
Barefoot Manner performed 133 shows in 2002, touring through 13 states. They toured out to Colorado and back in both the Spring and Fall. Highlights of the year were Smilefest in June with Béla FleckBéla Fleck
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
and Keller Williams
Keller Williams
Keller Williams is an American musician from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who began performing in the early 1990s. He is also known by the names K-Dub or just Keller, when performing. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and...
and Salmonfest in August with Leftover Salmon
Leftover Salmon
Leftover Salmon is a jam band from Boulder, Colorado, formed in 1989. Their unique blend of bluegrass, rock, country, and Cajun/Zydeco, which the band calls "Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass", has found favor with the jam band scene...
and Galactic. In September, Barefoot Manner also hosted its first ever outdoor festival called Mannerland and headlined the event for two nights. The group's second album, "Centered", came out in November and Home Grown Music Network stepped up to help circulate. Barefoot Manner did a two night stay at the "Haunted" Pour House in Raleigh, NC for Halloween and then did their New Years show at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC. All in all, 2002 was a year of huge growth for the group, both in its fanbase and musical level.
2003
A whirlwind year for the Manner men, the group performed 155 shows in 20 states playing non-stop throughout the year. The group toured out to Colorado in March and then hosted its second festival, Mannerland II, in April. Long-time friend, Hank SmithHank Smith
Hank "Henry" Smith was a cartoon animator, who worked for many Hollywood animation studios during the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. His work includes numerous cartoons for television, including many featuring Mr. Magoo, The Road Runner, Fat Albert, and many of the Peanuts television specials with...
, officially joined the group over the Summer with his unique banjo skills. The group's Smilefest performance in Union Grove, NC marked the beginning of the five-piece Manner sound as Barefoot Manner played nearly five straight hours and brought the sun up to close out the festival. Barefoot Manner rounded out the Summer by touring out to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for the first time to play the High Sierra Festival. Upon returning to North Carolina, the guys recorded their 3rd album live in Raleigh on July 26 and 27 at the Aqua Leisure shows. Barefoot Manner welcomed in the Fall with their third festival, Mannerland III, in September. The Halloween show in 2003 showcased Barefoot Manner as a council of Manner jedi with the Star Wars theme in full effect. The New Year's Eve show was at The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC and the event was filmed in hopes of releasing a DVD in the Spring of 2004.
2004
Barefoot Manner spent 2004 touring the South Eastern United States and performing at a number of Festivals. All in all, the Manner Men performed 142 shows up and down the East Coast. To top off all the highlights of the year, Barefoot Manner opened for The Dead at Alltel Pavilion in Raleigh, NC on August 17. Then, Mannerland IV on September 10–12 was a huge success in terms of music, weather, friends, and fun. The two night Halloween event featured Myron Koch on sax and was full of zany fun and surprises. To close out the year, the New Year’s theme was a Western style Barefoot hoedown. All the guys were dressed in full cowboy gear and over 300 capguns were passed out at midnight and shot off to bring in the New Year.2005
After three straight years of being road warriors and diligently spreading the Manner vibe via gasoline, sleep deprivation, and floor crashing; the group decided to throttle back the touring machine and focus on getting back to the most important element of the entire Barefoot Manner equation: the love for the music. The group made a conscious decision to perform less shows and spend the majority of the year working on keeping the band healthy and happy and really getting back to the music. The group performed 64 shows, concentrating close to their home state of North Carolina. Highlights of the year included the Terrapin Tour at the beginning of the year, Smilefest 11 in the Summer, and Mannerland 5 in the Fall. The Halloween Shows had a Pirate theme and the Manner Men set sail from Raleigh to Wilmington and back over two magical evenings. Then, on December 31, 2005, Barefoot Manner marked the end of an era with a special evening that focused on celebrating Walter Hensey’s incredible five year contribution to the Manner vibe. Walter's final show as bass player for the group was an emotional evening full of musical inspiration and energy. The Amateurs, Mamadou DiabatéMamadou Diabaté
Mamadou Diabaté is a kora player. He began playing quite early in his life, became known as a musician in the area of Mali in which he lived, and has since moved to the United States, recording several albums.-Life and career:...
, and Mac & Juice all shared in this special New Year’s event.
2006
As David Kleiss, Hank Smith, Shawn Chase, Jeff Garland, and Leo Kishore embark on the sixth year of the Barefoot Manner musical journey, the focus is all about exploring the music on all new levels. The musicians, fans, and friends in the world of Barefoot Manner continue to create moments that celebrate the fact that we are alive and share in the beauty of the positive music and energy they create together.External links
- Barefoot Manner Homepage
- Barefoot Manner Fan Community & Message Board
- Barefoot Manner MySpace Profile
- Jambase Schedule
- Barefoot Manner collection on the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive