Carolina Blue is a band on the rise. The Brevard, NC-based quintet has been riding their original, traditional sound to the top of the bluegrass world this past year, supported by a strong Pinecastle single, Rusty Rails, and the recent addition of superb young fiddler Aynsley Porchak to their already solid lineup.
After watching them perform at last year’s World of Bluegrass Convention in Raleigh, Jim Roe of Roe Entertainment has added them to the list of artists he will represent.
Jim says what fans already knew – everybody loves this band.
“Carolina Blue’s energy and stage presence has made them a fan and promoter favorite quickly over the last couple of years. Every talent buyer that I have spoken with absolutely loves this band and their Monroe-style bluegrass. These are some great people to be working with and five very talented pickers. I feel very fortunate to be adding them to our roster at Roe Entertainment and I’m very excited about the future.”
The group has been together since 2007, recording and performing in a very traditional bluegrass style, incorporating their own compositions. People’s ears really perked up when they took first place in the South Carolina Bluegrass championship at RenoFest in 2011, and again when they signed with Pinecastle last summer.
Bobby Powell on guitar and Tim Jones on mandolin are the band’s co-founders, and they handle the bulk of the lead singing and songwriting. Timmy’s mandolin playing owes much to the style Bill Monroe had pioneered in the 1950s, but with a precision and smoothness that brings it up to date. His high tenor voice also calls Big Mon to mind, with their vocal part provided by bass man Reese Combs.
James McDowell gives them a throwback banjo sound, mixing elements of both Don Reno and Earl Scruggs in his approach, nicely set off by Aynsley’s fiddle playing, which has won her the Grand Masters fiddle trophy in both the US and her native Canada.
Carolina Blue joins Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass, and Colebrook Road as Roe Entertainment artists. You can contact Jim Roe online for more information about any of them.
