If you’ve caught The Kody Norris Show at a festival or concert this season, you may have noticed some new faces on stage with the East Tennessee guitarist, singer, and bluegrass entertainer. They’re still wearing the rhinestone suits and playing it the old time way, but Kody has brought some new pickers into the group of late.
On banjo he has Josiah Tyree, a recent convert to bluegrass from old time music. Young Josiah has only been playing 3 finger banjo for a little over a year, but he has a firm grip on traditional bluegrass – just the way Kody likes it. He is also singing the tenor part with the band, something he has been doing in church since he was very young.
Tyler Wiseman is on bass and baritone vocals, serving in his first professional bluegrass gig. He may be new to the stage, but he’s followed the music since he was a young teen, discovering Flatt & Scruggs when he was 14. Growing up close to the site of the old Slagle’s Pasture Bluegrass Festival near Elizabethton, TN, Tyler spent many summer days listening to bluegrass music.
Playing both mandolin and fiddle is Mary Rachel Nalley, who has been with Kody this past two years. She started her music career on the fiddle with Hazel Holler in 2011 while still in high school, and has since worked with King’s Highway and Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers. When the band isn’t touring, Mary teaches music in East Tennessee.
Norris fronts the show with his lead singing and original songs, plus classics from the bluegrass repertoire. His passion is the music of the early bluegrass groups, and he keeps the band tuned into that style, with both a look and a sound deeply reminiscent of the time.
Kody put this short video together with samples of several songs he has recorded, plus images of the many custom-made suits tailored for him by Double 8 Apparel in Los Angeles.
You can find out more about The Kody Norris Show online.
