June 9, 2018
Concerts In The Park!
Natural blue diamonds are rarely discovered and seldom seen. The Blue Diamond Band is working to cultivate the same distinction in sound by blending High Lonesome Bluegrass with dashes of Soul, Gospel and rich Mountain Music. It only takes a few sound bites to realize their dedication to the craft. All of the guys live within a couple of miles of Rosine, KY, the birthplace of Bill Monroe and Bluegrass Music. To merely say Shawn Whitely plays the fiddle, would be like saying Michael Jordan was just another basketball player. He cut notches on his fiddle with the best, playing with Rascal Flatts, Rhett Akins and touring with Montgomery Gentry and Blake Shelton. Shawn was introduced to Monroe’s Music early on and started playing at age 11. “Fiddling is a part of me…I find solstice in its sound and how I play is merely a reflection of me”. Collin Coots is a young Banjo Player destined for great things. Collin said, “I was moved by the powerful, but mournful sound of the instrument and was impressed with its speed and precision at an early age”. Like many purist Banjoist, his influences are Scruggs and Stanley. Those inspirations can be heard as he rolls his fingers in J.D. Crowe fashion. Collin is a full time freshman student at Western Kentucky University. The musical aptitude of Earl Combs is a rarity. His vocal, instrumental and writing talents run deep and true to Bluegrass. He too was recognized by the Bluegrass Industry and received invitations to tour. But he rejected the idea; “I chose “marriage and family” over “a home on the road” Earl said. He’s been lighting up the strings of a guitar since he was 18 and mastered other instruments since, performing with several bands across the Commonwealth. Richard Clark, the Bassist of the group, holds a degree in music from the University of Evansville. Richard excels in many different genres of music, including, Classical, Jazz and Bluegrass. Richard plays, Cello, Guitar, Electric and Upright Bass and has performed with several different groups in the area including the Owensboro 2nd Street Jazz Band for three and a half years. And Lanham Brothers Jamboree for 7 years. Richard is also an accomplished sound engineer and provides live sound for many different area events. When Richard is not involved in his many different music activities he is a full time employee of the Don Moore Automotive Group in Owensboro Kentucky where he makes his home.
Saturday, June 9