The Country Ramblers at Bluegrass i de Müli in Urnäsch (8/17/24) – photo © Werner Gmünder
Many thanks to Beat Heri, Editor of the Swiss Bluegrass Music Association News, for allowing us to republish this story he wrote, translated into English, about this remarkable achievement by the Country Ramblers.
This summer, the Country Ramblers of Switzerland have been celebrating their 55th Anniversary to sold out houses, be it in Adliswil near Zurich, Elgg near Winterthur, or Urnäsch in Appenzell. Their music remains forceful and enchanting, the shows engaging and full of humor.
Three band members, Tom Matejovsky (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Urs von Arx (banjo, vocals), and Roland Ambühl (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, spoons, vocals) founded the group in 1969. Markus Fritzsche (bass, vocals) joined 44 years ago. At 55, the Country Ramblers are the bluegrass band with the longest span of activity in Europe, a recognition earned in 2014 when the European Bluegrass Music Association named them European Bluegrass Pioneers in 2014. Over the decades, the Country Ramblers put out 8 LPs/CDs, not counting a 1985 gold record.
Starting with the Lester Flatt/Bill Monroe classic, Little Cabin Home On The Hill, their anniversary show includes a cross section of instrumentals covered over the decades, such as Earl’s Breakdown, Alabama Jubilee, and Caravan, as well as original tunes Picking the Line and Bloozindee – starting with a stunning bass solo. In addition to bluegrass classics, the Country Ramblers over the years developed bluegrass versions of rock songs, including What A Day For A Daydream (Lovin’ Spoonful), Sunny Afternoon (Kinks), or The Letter (Box Tops).
The band creates a bond with its audience with relaxed banter and amusing bits of band history. At one point, Tom calculated the total age of the band members to be 290 years! At which point Markus added that he plays bass for a number of other bands where he’s usually the oldest musician; only with the Country Ramblers is he the youngest. At 9:00 p.m., while he was introducing the next song, Tom’s watch sounded an alarm, a reminder to take some medication that he then laughingly did before the band launched into the next song.
The selection of tunes allowed each musician to demonstrate excellence on their instruments. All four sing lead, and with the harmony voices picked up by some or all of the others, the band creates a wonderful variety of sounds. Towards the end of their performance, the Country Ramblers surprised with a four part harmony version of Southbound Passenger Train. Audiences thanked the band with standing ovations that led to one or more encores, a worthy ending of the 55th anniversary concerts for this likeable band.
Because banjo man Urs von Arx has been a New York City resident for the last 20 years, the Country Ramblers only get together to practice and play during his stays in Switzerland. The way the band nevertheless blends together is a testament to the format of four equal partners each carrying their weight while listening to the others, and not least to more than five decades of joint experience in bringing bluegrass to audiences in Europe.
