Monroe Crossing

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Page contents

1 History
2 Recordings
3 Community Involvement
4 Related bands and websites

History

Monroe Crossing "The Midwest's Premier Bluegrass and Gospel Quintet", formed in September of 2000 following the demise of The Pretty Good Bluegrass Band, Big Skyota, and the Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. The founding members were; Art Blackburn (guitar), Lisa Fuglie (fiddle, mandolin, guitar), Matt Thompson (mandolin, fiddle), Mark Anderson (string bass) and Brian Fesler (banjo). Brian left shortly after forming and by January, Benji Flaming was playing banjo for the group.

With Benji, the band recorded Across the Blue Mountains. Benji left to pursue recording and his solo banjo work and was replaced by Graham Sones in October of 2001. With Graham, the band recorded three discs. Then Sings My Soul is an all gospel recording released in June of 2002. Green Mossy Ground was the winner of a Minnesota Music Award MMA in 2003 for bluegrass album. On the Road is a collection of bluegrass favorites recorded live and was released in June of 2004.

In October of 2004, Graham left and was replaced by Jeff Whitson on banjo. Jeff and his family moved to Minnesota from Arkansas. With Jeff the band recorded Somebody Like You and The Happy Holidays, released June 2005 and December 2005 respectively. In April of 2006, the call of the South proved too great for the Whitson family. Jeff was replaced by Jason Ericsson from East Tennessee State University.

Jason Ericsson stayed just long enough to record Monroe Crossing's 7th disc and second all gospel disc, "Into the Fire" which was released in December of 2006.

It was in December of 2006 that the band was rejoined by their original banjo picker, Benji Flaming. With Benji, they recorded "Live from Silver Dollar City" and the world premier of "The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass" with the Vocalessence Choir.

Now in their eighth (as of 2008) year, the original five members are reaching new heights. They were an official showcase band at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in Nashville TN and among their recent venues are:
The Kennedy Center, Washington DC
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
Ozark Folk Center, Mountain View AR
Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley CA
Big Top Chautauqua, Washburn WI
Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival
The Bell Buckle Bluegrass Cruise
Bluegrass on the River, Parker AZ
Free State Bluegrass Music Festival, Canton TX
Bluegrass & BBQ, Silver Dollar City, Branson MO
Red, White and Bluegrass Festival, Morganton NC
Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival, Wind Gap PA
Northern Illinois Bluegrass Festival, Naperville IL
Tri-State Festival, Kendalville IN
Wintergrass, Tacoma WA

== Bios == Monroe Crossing are: Art Blackburn: Vocals, Guitar. Called "a font of creative flatpicking for decades" by Inside Bluegrass magazine, Art brings to the band 30 years of experience and a true love for the roots of Bluegrass music. As band leader of Art & Sandi's Pretty Good Band, Big Skyota, and The Pretty Good Bluegrass Band, Art brought together some of the finest musicians in the region and has entertained thousands across the Midwest. The winner of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Associations Bluegrass Guitar Player of the Year Award in 2000, it was his creative persistence that was the genesis of Monroe Crossing. Today, Arts powerful voice, exquisite flatpicking and thoughtful writing lend a fresh originality to the tradition upon which the band is founded.

Lisa Fuglie: Vocals, Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar. Originally from Nigeria, Lisa learned mandolin from an old Bill Monroe 78rpm record. Though that old record is long gone, its spirit of Bluegrass remains. Mix in her international background, and Lisa's performances are truly a cross-continental and cross-cultural experience!A stellar vocalist, she is also a prolific songwriter, solo performer, studio musician, and educator who has performed with such notables as The Hers, the Outskirts, and the Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. She received the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to study fiddle with Minnesota legend Bill Hinkley, and was the recipient of the 2000 Female Vocalist of the Year Award (in the Related Music category) from the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association. Lisa plays with the drive and intensity that defines Bluegrass fiddle, but listen closely and you will hear a world of experience.

Matt Thompson: Mandolin, Vocals, Fiddle, "The Voice of Monroe Crossing", Matt is the band's M.C. and handles all their interviews. After a chance encounter with a Bill Monroe record, a young Matt Thompson instantly fell in love with this incredible sound and proceeded to order Monroe record after Monroe record. Mandolin became Matt's instrument of choice, and Bluegrass a huge part of his life. Within two years his initial group, The Bluegrass Connection, won First Place at the 1982 Minnesota State Fair talent contest. Later bands included River Basin Bluegrass, Inside Track, and Big Skyota with Art Blackburn. In 1997, he co-founded True Blue and performed on Garrison Keillors "A Prairie Home Companion" and showcased at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention in Louisville, KY. A superb singer, songwriter and the bands MC, Matt also plays twin fiddle for Monroe Crossing. And he received the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association's Bluegrass Mandolin Player of the Year Award in 2000. Now that Matt has returned to his traditional roots with Monroe Crossing, you'll hear his heart and soul in every note.

Mark Anderson: Bass, Vocals. Mark came to Bluegrass after twenty years of playing bass and drums in a series of "alternative" groups. In 1995, friends suggested he get a string bass and bring his alternative zeal to the Bluegrass community. He quickly realized hed found a musical home and joined Art Blackburn in Art & Sandi's Pretty Good Band, and later, The Pretty Good Bluegrass Band. Mark was also a member of The Deadly Nightshade Family Singers. Mark is acknowledged as one of the Midwests elite Bluegrass bass players. In fact, he was nominated by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association as 2000 Bassist of the Year in both the Bluegrass and the Related Music categories! No matter the style or venue, Mark's earthy drive is unmistakably his own and is sure to set the feet tapping.

Recordings

Seven recordings currently exist:
2001 - Across the Blue Mountains,
2002 - Then Sings My Soul,
2003 - the Green Mossy Ground,
2004 - On the Road,
2005 - Somebody Like You,
2005 - The Happy Holidays
2006 - Into the Fire
2007 - Live from Silver Dollar City
2007 - The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass

All the discs are available at cdbaby.com or the Monroe Crossing website

Community Involvement

Monroe Crossing sponsors BluegrassForum.com BluegrassForum is a discussion site for members of the Upper Midwest Bluegrass scene.

They also host the St Croix Valley Bluegrass Festival at the beautiful Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings MN. The first annual St Croix Valley Bluegrass Festival was July 1, 2006

In addition to festivals and websites, Monroe Crossing does Bluegrass Jam Camps and school programs.