BLUEGRASS MUSIC

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers 
A Well-Established Band with a Brand New Look! 
“When I first heard Chris Jones over 25 years ago he became one of my favorite singers, and he continues to have one of the most distinctive and best voices in music, period. It’s like fine wine for the ears.” —Jim Lauderdale 
Chris Jones & the Night Drivers make some of the most distinctively elegant yet driving bluegrass music heard anywhere today. Deeply rooted in tradition but never bound to it, they deliver original music with tight arrangements, emotional authenticity, and engaging humor. As actor and banjo player Steve Martin says, “Chris Jones’ voice is there with the great masters,” adding that the Night Drivers are “some of the best players in bluegrass.”
Collectively, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers have won 11 IBMA awards and have racked up 22 #1 songs. The band’s latest release, their first all-original album, Make Each Second Last, has received rave reviews and has so far yielded an unprecedented eight consecutive #1 songs, including the title track “We Needed This Ride.” Their song, “Riding the Chief,” co-written by Chris and Thomm Jutz, was nominated for 2022 IBMA Song of the Year. They have topped both the Bluegrass Today and Roots Music Review airplay charts with the latest album.
In July of 2022, they made their debut on The Grand Ole Opry.
Chris Jones & the Night Drivers are currently signed to one of bluegrass music’s top record labels, Mountain Home Music Company, for whom they’ve recorded four critically acclaimed albums.
A well-established band formed in the mid-1990s, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers have become popular repeat performers at major festivals like Merlefest in North Carolina, California’s Huck Finn Jubilee, and the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. They have filled a wide variety of venues around the world, touring across the U.S. and Canada, and all over Europe, including Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. Together with the band and as a solo artist, Chris has released 14 albums and racked up 19 #1 songs.
THE BAND: 
Chris Jones’ soulful singing, solid guitar skills, and impressive versatility have earned him the respect of some of the best musicians in the world, and he has performed and recorded with the Chieftains, Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Tom T. Hall. Chris has appeared on the the Grand Ole Opry with Laurie Lewis, Lynn Morris, and the Whitstein Brothers, and began his career with bands as varied as Special Consensus, Dave Evans, and Weary Hearts. 
With his warm sense of humor and deep knowledge of country and bluegrass music history, Chris is also a popular host on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction and Willie’s Roadhouse channels, making him one of the most widely heard broadcasting voices in bluegrass. He was named IBMA Broadcaster of the Year for the third time in 2022. And, in his spare time, he writes a hilarious and award-winning weekly column for Bluegrass Today. 

Mark Stoffel is “one of the most musical mandolin players I’ve ever played with,” says Chris.
Mark’s rhythmic sense and warm tone help to define the band’s instrumental sound, and Chris
adds, “mandolin players are really impressed with his playing everywhere we go.” Originally
from Munich, Germany, and a Night Driver since 2007, Mark has contributed several lively
instrumental tunes to the band’s repertoire. He also delights audiences with his sweet rendition
of “Edelweiss”—one of the few Broadway show tunes that really lends itself to mandolin.
Nelson Williams is one of the up-incoming bass players in the string-band world. Hailing from
the musically diverse and rich culture of South Louisiana, Nelson’s bass playing takes
inspiration from his home and beyond, blending bluegrass, jazz, classical and old-time
influences into a style of playing that’s been called “Pleasing virtuosity”. He is a founding
member of the latest Black string-band, New Dangerfield, and has served as a core member of
award winning Black banjo and fiddler, Jake Blount, for years. His expertise and steady-solid
bass playing has made him an on-call bass player in New Orleans and beyond.
Grace Van’t Hof is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Della Mae, as well as
a founding member of the popular vintage roots music band Bill & The Belles. Her driving
banjo style is influenced by early masters Earl Scruggs and Don Reno, as well as more recent
players like Ron Block and Jim Mills. As a self-described “songwriting geek,” Grace focuses
her playing on what best supports the song. Well-versed in old-time and early country music,
she incorporates her ukulele playing into the Night Drivers’ repertoire. Grace also loves
harmony singing, and her voice blends naturally with Chris’ and Mark’s. Both her uke, banjo,
and harmony singing can be heard on the band’s latest single, “We Needed This Ride.”
Every single released by this current lineup of the band–six in total–has gone to #1 on the
Bluegrass Today weekly airplay chart.
SONGWRITING:
Chris Jones’ “Fork in the Road” won the IBMA Song of the Year award in 2007, when it
appeared on the Infamous Stringdusters’ album of the same name. Today, Chris continues to
build on his sparkling career by writing new songs that display solid craftsmanship, deep
emotion, and inventive subject matter. As he has for the past two decades, Chris creates
original bluegrass music that maintains the highest standards, lyrically and musically. He
shows that it is possible to write directly from the heart in a way that is authentic to the roots of
bluegrass as well as the contemporary world in which he lives. Make Each Second Last is the
first band album to feature all material written or co-written by Jones. Bluegrass is fortunate to
have such a dedicated, talented, and tasteful songwriter working in the genre, and still at the
top of his game.

 

 

Kentucky Sky

Randy Hackworth
Randy’s roots take him back to the hills of Eastern Kentucky. Although
he has played in several bands and genres of music, his love and
passion is for that Bluegrass sound. As a singer/songwriter and
guitarist, it just seems to be the perfect fit.
Emily Frank
She was raised listening to nothing but bluegrass music, and it’s still the
only music she listens to. She has played in several different bands.
The current group is called “Kentucky Sky” where she contributes with
acoustic bass and vocals, as well as writing songs. Emily says, ”I love
playing music with these guys and doing harmonies. Plus I get to dress
old style and wear hats.”
Fred Frank
Fred has been in many Bluegrass bands over the years starting his
Bluegrass career with the Stone Mountain Bluegrass Co. He has played
banjo, mandolin, and guitar in different bands, but in Kentucky Sky he is
on five string banjo and singing vocal harmonies. Fred says: “This is
one of the most traditional groups I have been in, and I’m having a
blast.”
Chad Fadely
Chad is originally from Hot Springs, AR. Chad is the newest member of
the band but has shared the stage with Fred and Emily many times over
the years as a member of New South Fork. Chad has played in many
bands from MT and when not making his living playing the mandolin,
he’s selling guitars for Music Villa in Bozeman, MT.
And a link to our Facebook page…. With lots of videos.

https://www.facebook.com/kentuckyskybluegrassband/

The Mark Krider Band
Mark Krider, banjo player has deep bluegrass roots from the North Carolina
Mountains where he grew up listening to and pickin bluegrass. “You might say it’s in the
water there” Working hard to keep the traditional sound going, he formed the Mark Krider Band.
Mark has shared the stage with The Osborne Bros, The Country Gentleman,The Lewis
Family, and Blue Highway,
Randy Pasley joined playing the dobro. Randy also sings lead, tenor, baritone and
bass. Randy’s style of dobro playing is top notch. He has performed with Doc Watson,
Wayne as Henderson, and Tim O’Bryant just to name a few. Also Randy won first place
dobro at The Galax Old TIME fiddlers convention. Randy and his wife reside in Ogden,
Uath.
Tucker McCandless is lead singer and guitar player plus he plays all the
instruments well. He comes to us from Pigeon Forge, Tn. Mark and Tucker have been
making music off and on for the last 30 years. Tucker has such a great bluegrass voice
he’s just a pleasure to listen to and he brings out that “High Lonesome sound.” Tucker
also performed at DollyWood for almost 10years.
Hudson Bosworth, lead guitar and vocals. Hudson studied guitar with Wyatt Rice
for four years at ETSU in Johnson City,TN. Hudson has developed into one of the best
flat pickers around and makes his home in Ogden, Utah along with his 1986 Santa
Cruise guitar.
Billy Parker, mandolin tenor lead baritone vocals. Billy is known all over the west
coast as ‘The Mandolin Man’ . Billy comes from the east coast and makes his home in
Chandler, AZ. Billy has been recording and playing bluegrass for many years. He is one
of the very top performers you will get a chance to hear.
Alan Tompkinson on bass, bass vocal and lead. Alan has spent a big part of his life
dedicated to bluegrass music. From the great state of KY., Alan makes his home along
with his wife and daughter in Dallas, TX. Alan also puts on some of the very best
Bluegrass events in Texas. “We look Forward to pickin our style of bluegrass in
Wyoming.”