2015 Pickin' In the Park Concert Series, Week 4 - Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, with The Railsplitters
With their latest release Cold Spell landing a 2015 Grammy Nomination for Best Bluegrass Album followed by an eight award sweep at the 2015 WAMMIES, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, IBMA’s 2014 Instrumental Group of the Year, can’t slow down!
Since Frank Solivan left the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., he’s built a reputation as a monster mandolinist — and become a major festival attraction with his band, Dirty Kitchen. Solivan, with banjoist Mike Munford, 2013 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, award winning guitarist Chris Luquette and doghouse bassist Dan Booth, simmer a bluegrass/newgrass stew from instrumental, vocal and songwriting skills so hot, they’ve been named Washington Area Music Association’s Best Bluegrass Band of the Year for four consecutive years.
From their home in the Colorado Rockies, The Railsplitters have been scaling new heights with a refreshing and charming range of bluegrass and beyond-bluegrass music. For a debut album, The Railsplitters sound remarkably assured, playing with the kind of abandon their live shows are known for. Bringing real depth and formidable talent, this group draws influences from all the greats--from Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs to modern groups like Uncle Earl and Crooked Still. The Railsplitters are nothing if not enthusiastically bluegrass and contagiously so, with rapid tempos, unusual instrumentals and good-time breakdowns! Using powerful female and male vocals, enchanting harmonies, and masterful instrumentals, The Railsplitters have the kind of raw power that can raise mountains and even a few eyebrows. -Mindie Lind, Hearth Music
