Introducing Bear Chapman Still

Bear Chapman Still is a new group from the fertile bluegrass ground of southwestern Virginia, a father/son duo returning to the music after some time away.

Daniel Lowe plays banjo, as he has done for many years in the bluegrass communities of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. His son, Samuel, is on guitar, returning to the grassy sound he played with his dad as a younger man. Samuel worked for some time in country music, and is an accomplished songwriter. But he is back in the bluegrass, recording new music with his dad that blends an acoustic country vibe with the grass he grew up on.

Dad is delighted to have his son picking and singing with him again, and admitted in a conversation that he wasn’t sure that his traditional banjo playing would fit with a more modern approach, but that he has been very pleased with how well it has turned out.

“I’m kind of an old dog, slow to pick up new tricks, but the old Earl Scruggs style still works just fine!”

Together they have a pair of singles, written by Samuel and tracked with help from some friends in the region, that showcase the Bear Chapman Still sound.

The first is called Cold Beer, and tells of the pleasures to be found floating in the river hoping to lure some fish, and the satisfactions of the simple life.

Their latest is Break Away, which works the well-plowed ground of lost love, and a man who shares that his former romance wasn’t too hard to break away from.

Both songs are available now from popular download and streaming services online.

The band can be contacted cited via Facebook.

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.