American bluegrass musician
Musical artist
Russ Barenberg
(born October 8, 1950) is an American
bluegrass
musician.
Biography
[
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]
Barenberg began playing guitar at age 13, taking lessons from Alan Miller, whose brother, John Miller, Barenberg would later play with. His style was heavily influenced by the
flatpicking
technique of
Clarence White
. He attended
Cornell University
and met
Pete Wernick
there in 1968. Together they joined to form
Country Cooking
, who released two albums of bluegrass before breaking up in 1975.
[1]
In 1975 Barenberg briefly began playing
electric guitar
with a jazz rock group, Carried Away. Late in 1975 he quit playing music, but returned in 1977, moving to
New York City
to play in the group
Heartlands
. This group also played backup on Barenberg's debut solo effort,
Cowboy Calypso
, in 1980. He then moved to
Boston
, teaching at the Music Emporium in
Cambridge
. Here he played in the groups
Fiddle Fever
and
Laughing Hands
.
In 1986 Barenberg moved to
Nashville
, where he has played often with
Jerry Douglas
,
Edgar Meyer
and
Maura O'Connell
, and done much work as a
session musician
with
Bela Fleck
,
Hazel Dickens
,
Mel Tillis
, and
Randy Travis
, among others. He has released several instructional videos.
[2]
"Russ Barenberg is one of the most melodic instrumentalists and composers in contemporary bluegrass and acoustic music. Best known for his own unique style of flatpicking, Barenberg often uses his other three fingers to enhance rhythm and melody and create a more textural sensitivity."
[3]
In 2007, his song "Little Monk" was nominated for a
Grammy award
for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
[4]
Since 1995 he has been a member of the house band for the
Transatlantic Sessions
television programs on the BBC.
Discography
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]
Solo albums
[
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]
- 1980:
Cowboy Calypso
(
Rounder
)
- 1983:
Behind the Melodies
(Rounder)
- 1988:
Moving Pictures
(Rounder)
- 2007:
When at Last
(
Compass
)
Compilations
[
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]
- 1987:
Halloween Rehearsal
(Rounder)
With Country Cooking
[
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]
- 1971:
14 Bluegrass Instrumentals
(Rounder)
- 1972:
Frank Wakefield with Country Cooking
(Rounder)
- 1974:
Barrel of Fun
(Rounder)
- 1974:
Bluegrass Guitar
(
Music Minus One
)
Also appears on
[
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]
References
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]
External links
[
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]
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