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Written by Glenn BurnSilver
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Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
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Page 3 of 5
BAND IS NO HIT AND RUN
EVOLUTION CONTINUES FOR BLUEGRASS GROUP
The term “normal evolution” does not seem to apply to Front Range bluegrass favorites Hit & Run Bluegrass.
First, only a few months out of the gate, the band slipped in out of nowhere to win the 2002 Rocky Grass band competition. Something they attributed at the time to good songs, good chemistry and good clothes. Then, Hit & Run followed that up with a band competition victory at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2003 to become the first (and still only) band to win both prestigious events. 
Last year, they took a chance and traveled to the birthplace of bluegrass music, Tennessee, for the SPBGMA International Band Championships. Lead singer, guitarist and founder Rebecca Hoggan was sure “that the southeasterners would laugh us off the stage.” Instead, they won, the first, first-time entry to capture that award.
So what does Hit & Run do for an encore? Replace three members at the height of their creative and competitive drive. This is not the normal evolution for a band seeking sustainability.
But for Hit & Run, the unexpected is par for the course.
“Everyone was burned out and needed a break from the road. But (founder and mandolin player John) Frazier and I were burned out too, so we just decided to see what happened,” Hoggan explained by phone from Boulder.
Gone are banjo player Aaron Youngberg, upright bassist Erin Coats and Dobro player Todd Livingston. In their place are Lorenzo Gangi, Steve Roy and David Rickey, respectively. While Hoggan is quick to point out the strength of the original lineup, she is just as quick to praise the new members.
“We have gotten so many compliments from fans, but we had no idea what to expect,” she said. “Everyone is feeling things out and getting comfortable with the new material, bringing in new strengths.”
Those strengths include Richey’s traditional Tennessee bluegrass roots, Gangi’s solid contemporary style and Roy’s jazz background, all of which impart a slightly different flare, but in no way detract from Hit & Run’s contemporary style where bluegrass rubs elbows with old-school country. As a bonus, Hoggan expressed her excitement that everyone can sing, thus creating a variety of vocal combinations.
Hard work seems to be the one constant for Hit & Run. That drive won competitions but has also turned the band into a popular festival favorite, enough so, that the Greeley Bluegrass Roundup is only one of three Colorado dates this summer.
The new band is also working up material for a new album, most likely to be recorded in the fall. However, fans will have to be content with old favorites and bluegrass standards. The band has decided not to perform new tunes before they have recorded them.
“It’s hard, it’s really tempting. I want to bring new songs out and see what people think about them,” Hoggan said. But after a long pause and a little prodding, added: “I don’t know ... maybe.”
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