AAFFM Presents: Georgia Grass, and Chambless and Muse

GEORGIA GRASS

Since Dan Daniel founded Georgia Grass in 1973, this professional bluegrass band has played for many bluegrass festivals and events in Georgia and around the Southeast. By1976 they were so highly reputed that they were chosen to play for the Grand opening of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Dan plays guitar and sings most of the lead vocals for the group. He’s a member of the Bonded Brothers of Bluegrass and President and CEO of the Southeastern Bluegrass Association. In 2009 Dan was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2017 the Atlanta Society of Entertainers presented him with the Musician’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Banjo player James Mckinney also sings harmony and some leads. James won the South US Banjo Championship at the age of 14. He went on to win first-place awards in other states and in 1982 was named Grand National Banjo Champion of the United States at the annual awards in Winfield, Kansas. James has played with such legends as Bill Monroe, Vassar Clements and John Hartford. He has worked as a studio musician in Nashville and is rated as one of the top banjo players in the country. James was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

Bass player Niki Portmann is also a singer. Her love of music from a young age led her to try several different instruments before deciding on the upright acoustic bass. She was inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

www.facebook.com/dan.daniel.754

CHAMBLESS AND MUSE

For more than 25 years, Alabama natives Jil Chambless and Scooter Muse have been performing the music of Scotland, Ireland and America with various ensembles in a wide variety
of venues, from simple house concerts to festivals and concert halls. Jil and Scooter have worked alongside many of the finest artists in Celtic music. In 2010 Chambless & Muse began performing as a duo to promote their individual solo projects. Since then they have released several CDs: The Laverock Sang (2011), Passing Tales & Glories (2014), Live @ NTIF with John Taylor (2016), The Lang Awa’ Ships (2017), and Nollaig Chridheil, Songs of the Christmas Season with Ed Miller (2017).

As singer and flute player, Jil Chambless has performed across the US as well as in Canada, Scotland, and Israel with the band Henri’s Notions, Chambless & Muse, Scottish singer Ed
Miller, Scottish fiddler John Taylor, the band Vulcan Eejits!, The Mairtin deCogain Project, the John Whelan Trio, the Vogt Family Contra Band, and others. In 2009 Jil released her first solo CD, The Ladies Go Dancing, produced by the legendary Brian McNeill. Jil brings to any audience a wonderful listening experience from haunting ballads to upbeat songs with a smooth delivery that never fails to bring both smiles and tears in each and every performance. See www.jilchambless.com.

Although Scooter Muse has his roots in bluegrass and is quite an accomplished five-string banjo
player, in the late 1980s he moved into the world of Celtic guitar. He soon founded the Full
Moon Ensemble, performing for eight years across the US and in Scotland, before joining Henri’s Notions in 2003. In 2005 Scooter released his first solo recording of original guitar instrumentals, Saddell Abbey, which was purchased by the Scottish Tourist Board in Kintyre.
The Saddell Abbey Trust of Scotland calls the recording “a haunting and beautiful piece of
music.” See www.scootermuse.com.

“Jil and Scooter are brilliant musicians on flute and guitar and Jil has one of the loveliest folk
voices around today…” ~Seamus Kennedy, singer, guitarist, songwriter, performer, and yodeler.

“…Wonderful guitar …fine Celtic traditional vocals and flute, in my opinion, would be a great
addition to any stage …. beautiful music!” ~Alex Beaton, Scottish recording artist.

“For me, quite simply as good as it gets!” ~Alex McKinven, Mull of Kintyre Music & Arts Association, Scotland.

“Exquisite vocals, oh-so-tasteful guitar and a lilting flute – a deceptively simple, beautiful and
gentle combination!” ~Ed Miller, Scottish recording artist, folklorist and radio host.

www.facebook.com/chamblessandmuse