Tennessee Mountain Laurel Festival
Entertainment Bios
Brad Carter
Bradley "Chum" Carter is a guitarist, banjoist, and composer for film. Bradley is the guitar player, singer, and songwriter for Asheville, North Carolina's hard rocking trio, Max Gross Weight.
Bradley is a member of the Newgrass Quintet, Asheville New Grass. An ensemble that features some of the Western North Carolina region's best instrumentalists. Bradley is also a former member of popular WNC jamgrassers Sanctum Sully.
As a solo performed Bradley plays an eclectic mix of acoustic music on guitar and banjo. You might hear an old time fiddle tune one minute and an unexpected cover the next.
Bradley's music has been featured in films and ads by prominent adventure filmmakers BigUP Productions, Sender Films, Camp 4 Collective, and Oakley Anderson Moore.
Calvary Men's Trio
Bruce Gouge
Jeff Wilbur
Carl Sharp
Big Valley Mustangs
They play like they've been playing together all their lives. Maybe because Merritt and the Seals have shared the stage before, once backing husband and wife duo, "Merritt" and another as folk rock trio "The Fishermen".
Now, they've created a very unique sound that has already won the hearts of many, from all walks of life. Yes, there's a "Country rock", familiar tone, and a sparse "Americana voicing", but there's also something more that separates them from the herd. Some say it's the rich baritone guitar sounds that are thicker than wood and some say it's the space in their music that haunts like a ghost, but most say its an undeniable passion in the way they perform and sing. They have already shared their music in many different venues, all while they have continued writing and recording. It's a good day and time for The Big Valley Mustangs.
Bill Shannon & Chill Factor
Bill Shannon and the Chill Factor band have been playing classic country music for 10 years, basically the same musicians except for two or three. Some musicians are made up from people that have played the Nashville circuit with some of the old country legends like Red Sovine, Little Jimmy Dickens, Roger Miller and Charlie Pride. Ken Bonham the Lead guitar player has backed legends such as Merle Haggard. Myself, I've been playing and singing country music since high school and all thru my 22 years in the Air Force.
jubal
Jubal is the Americana-Folk coalescence of Taylor Kress & Bonnie Simmons based in Knoxville, Tennessee. With two voices and a guitar, Jubal works with simplicity to create an intricate and emotional sound.
Taylor and Bonnie both grew up in the Knoxville region and experimented with musical flavors throughout their youth. Bonnie, with a deep seeded exposure to old-time, gospel, blues, and traditional folk of the region, and Taylor with an innate love for history, lyricism, and atypical sounds.
Jubal showcases their contrasting influences and backgrounds with strong harmonies and varying writing styles.
Their voices joined for the first time on 89.9 WDVX's Blue Plate Special in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Bloodroot is their debut album released August, 2015.
Their sophomore album will be released spring of 2017.