Kudzu kings
Encyclopedia
Kudzu Kings is an alternative country
/roots rock
jam band
from Oxford, Mississippi
. Their sound has been categorized as a blend of country music
, bluegrass
and improvisational rock & roll. The band was actively together for almost ten years (1994-2003), and members still come together for occasional reunion shows.
In their years together, the band gained moderate success in the Southeast
, Colorado
, and Texas
, in addition to spreading their base to the rest of the nation and Canada
with a number of tours. They have shared the stage many times with Widespread Panic
(with whom longtime Kudzu guitarist George McConnell
eventually joined up with in 2002), as well as with many other artists, including Bob Weir
and Rob Wasserman
, Leftover Salmon
, Jimmie Dale Gilmore
and Junior Brown
, just to name a few. Kudzu Kings have also welcomed a number of guest musicians to collaborate over the years (sometimes sitting in for several shows for absent members) including Chris Etheridge, Bucky Baxter
, John "Jojo" Hermann
(of Widespread Panic
), Cody Dickinson (of North Mississippi All-Stars), and Tony Furtado
.
Discography
Kudzu Kings (1997)
* Produced by Jim Gaines and engineered by Jeffrey Reed
* All Music Guide review []
Y2Kow (1999)
* Produced and engineered by Jeffrey Reed
* CMJ (5/8/00, p.32) - "...A winning blend of roots rock
, traditional country
and Delta blues
..."
Members include:
Sometimes with:
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
/roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
from Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
. Their sound has been categorized as a blend of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, 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...
and improvisational rock & roll. The band was actively together for almost ten years (1994-2003), and members still come together for occasional reunion shows.
In their years together, the band gained moderate success in the Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in addition to spreading their base to the rest of the nation and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with a number of tours. They have shared the stage many times with Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
(with whom longtime Kudzu guitarist George McConnell
George McConnell
George McConnell is an American guitarist from Vicksburg, Mississippi who played for Widespread Panic, Kudzu Kings, and Beanland. He attended the University of Mississippi where he was in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity....
eventually joined up with in 2002), as well as with many other artists, including Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
and Rob Wasserman
Rob Wasserman
Rob Wasserman is an American bass player, who has played with a wide variety of musicians including David Grisman, Lou Reed, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Bruce Cockburn, Van Morrison, Rickie Lee Jones, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, Mark Morris, Aaron Neville, Chris Whitley, Studs Terkel, Pete Seeger,...
, 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...
, Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a country singer, songwriter, actor, recording artist and producer, currently living in Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
and Junior Brown
Junior Brown
Jamieson "Junior" Brown is an American country guitarist and singer. He has released nine studio albums in his career, and has charted twice on the Billboard country singles charts. Brown's signature instrument is the "guit-steel" double neck guitar, a hybrid of electric guitar and lap steel...
, just to name a few. Kudzu Kings have also welcomed a number of guest musicians to collaborate over the years (sometimes sitting in for several shows for absent members) including Chris Etheridge, Bucky Baxter
Bucky Baxter
William "Bucky" Baxter is an American multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey. He was born in Melbourne, Florida. He has appeared on various albums by artists such as Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, R.E.M., and Joe Henry....
, John "Jojo" Hermann
John Hermann
John "JoJo" Hermann was born in New York City. He toured the South extensively with the band Beanland until 1992, when he went to Athens, Georgia to play keyboard with Widespread Panic....
(of Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
), Cody Dickinson (of North Mississippi All-Stars), and Tony Furtado
Tony Furtado
Tony Furtado is an American banjo player and slide guitar, and singer/songwriter.player of Portuguese and Italian heritage who was born in Oakland, California...
.
Discography
Discography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
Kudzu Kings (1997)
* Produced by Jim Gaines and engineered by Jeffrey Reed
* All Music Guide review []
Y2Kow (1999)
* Produced and engineered by Jeffrey Reed
* CMJ (5/8/00, p.32) - "...A winning blend of roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
, traditional country
Neotraditional country
Neotraditional country, also known as "new traditional" country, is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a 'traditional' country vocal style. Neotraditional country artists often dress in the fashions of the country music scene of the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s...
and Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
..."
Members include:
- Tate Moore - acoustic guitars, vocals;
- Dave Woolworth - bass, alto guitar, vocals;
- Robert Chaffe - keyboards;
- Tommy Bryan Ledford (1997-2003) - banjo, mandolin, vocals;
- George McConnellGeorge McConnellGeorge McConnell is an American guitarist from Vicksburg, Mississippi who played for Widespread Panic, Kudzu Kings, and Beanland. He attended the University of Mississippi where he was in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity....
(1995-2001) - acoustic and electric guitars, vocals; - Max Williams (1994-1997) - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals;
- Daniel Karlish (2001-2003) - electric & slide guitar, vocals;
- Chuck Sigler (1994-1999) - drums;
- Jefferson E. Colburn (2000-2003) - drums;
Sometimes with:
- Ted Gainey (of Blue MountainBlue Mountain (band)Blue Mountain is an American alt-country/roots rock band formed in 1991 in Oxford, Mississippi by husband and wife duo Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt , who is notably the twin sister of John Stirratt, the bass player for the like-minded Americana band Wilco.-History:After the dissolution of...
, Cary HudsonCary HudsonCary Hudson is the lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter of the alternative country/Southern rock band Blue Mountain.-Biography:Cary was born in the small town of Sumrall, MS, located approximately 15 miles from Hattiesburg. Prior to Blue Mountain, Hudson was in a band called The Hilltops,...
Electric Trio) - drums; - C.D. Overton - drums;
- JJ Callaway - trombone;
- Chris Etheridge - bass;
- Bucky BaxterBucky BaxterWilliam "Bucky" Baxter is an American multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey. He was born in Melbourne, Florida. He has appeared on various albums by artists such as Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, R.E.M., and Joe Henry....
- pedal steel