OUT TODAY:
AJ LEE AND BLUE SUMMIT’S NEW LP I’LL COME BACK
“Indeed they deliver a well-rounded and texturally diverse set of contemporary bluegrass that honors the tradition while sounding fresh and vital, where the tones of the instruments; deft, tasteful playing; and tight, intricate arrangements are employed to great effect in support of Lee’s emotionally resounding, powerhouse vocal delivery.” - The San Francisco Chronicle
“Between the interplay among the instrumental lines, the passion conveyed in Lee’s voice and the grooving feel of the rhythmic engine, everything comes together to seamlessly produce Americana perfection.” - American Songwriter
“…it is hard to argue with their success…Like many young performers, when Lee started her group in 2015 they began to experiment and push against the boundaries of what they had grown up playing, but in the end the grass calls them home.” - Bluegrass Today
"This band is good in the bluegrass way: they use their skill not to show off, but
to build songs that are sturdy as houses, with plenty of room for guests, and ready for any
weather.” - Country Queer
LISTEN: I’LL COME BACK
Today, award-winning Bay Area-based roots powerhouse AJ Lee and Blue Summit (“AJLBS”) have released their brilliant new LP I’ll Come Back. Unlike their first record, which featured experimentation with session musicians and electric instruments, the new album is a pure reflection of the live sound of the group, hearkening back to their acoustic roots. Each band member performs at their peak, and the variety of songs on the record caters to their broad fanbase. Certain tracks fall more in the classic bluegrass realm of songwriting, while others fall into that hard-to-define realm of acoustic Americana that blends mesmerizing lyricism and acoustic mastery.
Although falling loosely under the bluegrass label, AJLBS generally plays sans banjo, a configuration effectively used to create unique space and texture in the arrangements not as commonly found in the music of their peers. Drawing from influences such as country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music, the band uses the lens of bluegrass as a vessel through which to express and explore the thread that binds and unifies all great music.
“The origins of the band go back 16 years, when a 7-year-old Lee joined the Palo Alto group the Tuttles, a family band assembled by renowned bluegrass multi-instrumentalist and educator Jack Tuttle featuring his children, Molly, Sullivan and Michael, all virtuosic prodigies themselves,” said The San Francisco Chronicle. “Although only 23, Lee is a seasoned and celebrated veteran of the greater Bay Area bluegrass scene and nine-time winner of the Northern California Bluegrass Awards for best female vocalist, exhibiting a musical depth and maturity beyond her years.”
“Lee is part of the same class of [Youth In Bluegrass] artists that produced Molly Tuttle. In fact, AJ was a member of Molly’s family band for many years, performing as The Tuttles with AJ Lee when they were teens,” said Bluegrass Today. “Now heading up her own group, Lee is out front on lead vocals and mandolin, supported by Molly’s younger brother, Sullivan Tuttle, and Jesse Fichman on guitar, Jan Purat on fiddle, and Chad Bowen on bass.”
Although falling loosely under the bluegrass label, AJLBS generally plays sans banjo, using their configuration effectively to create unique space and texture in the arrangements not as commonly found in the music of their peers. Drawing from influences such as country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music, the band uses the lens of bluegrass as a vessel through which to express and explore the thread that binds and unifies all great music. I’ll Come Back is available for purchase HERE.
TOUR DATES
AUG 20 - Mauch Chunk Opera House @ 8:00pm - Jim Thorpe, PA
AUG 21 - Della Mae's Fam Fest @ 2:00pm - Round Hill, VA
AUG 22 - Stages Music Arts @ 7:00pm - Cockeysville, MD
AUG 26 - Casa Flamenca, Inc. @ 7:30pm - Albuquerque, NM
AUG 27 - Wildwood Sounds @ 7:00pm - Del Norte, CO
AUG 28 - Taos Center for the Arts @ 7:30pm - Taos, NM
AUG 29 - Number Thirty Eight @ 8:00pm - Denver, CO
AUG 30 - MainStage Brewing Company @ 6:00pm - Lyons, CO
AUG 31 - Sherbino Theater @ 7:00pm - Ridgway, CO
SEP 1 - Dolores River Brewery @ 7:00pm - Dolores, CO
SEP 3 - Four Corners Folk Festival 2021 @ 7:00pm - Pagosa Springs, CO
SEP 10 - Sierra Meadows @ 7:30pm - Ahwahnee, CA
SEP 11 - Black Oak Concert Series @ 7:00pm - Tuolumne, CA
SEP 18 - Whale Rock Music Festival @ 7:00pm - Templeton, CA
SEP 19 - Lodi Grape Festival Grounds @ 6:00pm - Lodi, CA
SEP 24 - FreshGrass Festival 2021 @ 11:00am - North Adams, MA
SEP 22-25 - AMERICANAFEST - Nashville, TN [Official Showcase]
OCT 1 - Sisters Folk Festival 2021 @ 12:00pm - Sisters, OR
OCT 8 - McCabe’s Guitar Shop @ 8:00pm - Santa Monica, CA
OCT 9 - Paramount Ranch @ 3:00pm - Agoura Hills, CA
OCT 30 - Felton Music Hall @ 8:30pm - Felton, CA
NOV 20 - Hopmonk Tavern @ 8:00pm - Novato, CA^
^w/ The Coffis Brothers
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