Nothin’ Fancy has announced their new bass player after several months of trying out potential replacements since James Cox announced his departure at the beginning of the year. He goes simply by the stage name Jenkins.
When we got in touch with him yesterday, Jenkins told us that he grew up a bluegrass fan in South Carolina, before heading off to study music in college at USC. There he trained in jazz and has performed for many years in that idiom.
He says that he feels very good about joining the band and playing bluegrass full time.
“I am very proud to be a part of Nothin’ Fancy. It just feels right.”
Jenkins joins new band mates Mike Andes, founder and band leader, on mandolin, Chris Sexton on fiddle, Jacob Flick on banjo, and Curt Gausman on guitar.
From their start nearly three decades ago, Nothin’ Fancy has focused on offering an entertaining stage show, every bit as much as turning in some solid bluegrass music.
Sexton tells us that Jenkins is perfectly suited for that role.
“As Nothin’ Fancy approaches its 30th anniversary of being in business, it is really exciting to have completed our search for a bassist and be a whole band once again. And we could not be more excited about our upcoming gigs now that we have Jenkins laying down a perfectly-timed and tasteful foundation to our sound.
Jenkins is already proving his worth as our newest brother in our band. He is passionate about music (and our music in particular). He is dedicated to learning all he can, which is a daunting task considering there are 17 albums in Nothin’ Fancy’s discography!
Most of all, he is a team player, and is instantly likable by his band mates and fans alike. His first shows with us have re-energized our band, and made us work that much harder to deliver great shows that both are musically satisfying and keep the fans coming back for more.”
Nothin’ Fancy keeps a busy tour schedule year round, and you can follow their dates online. And they hope everyone will remember their annual Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival held in September at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista, VA.
