Steep Canyon Rangers   -  Biography

The Steep Canyon Rangers are a band of young souls who play old-time bluegrass music. The quintet formed during the late '90s, when all of the members were still enrolled at the University of North Carolina. The impetus for forming the band came from a call for bluegrass entertainment for a weekly shindig hosted by the Mellow Mushroom Restaurant in Chapel Hill. For the band's debut, Old Dreams and New Dreams, Newgrass Revival's Curtis Burch lent a hand as producer when the group recorded the album in Kentucky in 2001. The Steep Canyon Rangers put together their next release, Mr. Taylor's New Home, in a Chapel Hill studio operated by Jerry Brown. The 2002 release features predominantly original material, plus a couple of bluegrass standards in the mix. A self-titled project was released in 2004. The Steep Canyon Rangers are Charles Humphrey III on bass, guitarist Woody Platt, banjo player Graham Sharp, mandolinist Mike Guggino and fiddle player Nicky Sharp, who replaced Elizabeth "Lizzie" Hamilton for 2005's One Dime at a Time. The success of the title track at bluegrass radio helped the band win the IBMA award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2006. The following year, they offered Lovin' Pretty Women on Rebel Records. ~ Linda Seida, All Music Guide