2010 Performers
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters
Around a dozen years ago a group of musicians from the Galax, VA area formed a new band. This group, The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, took their name in part from the original Bogtrotters of the 1930's, also because band leader Dennis Hall lives on Ballard's Branch. Rounding out the Bogtrotters are: Eddie Bond on Fiddle, Dennis Hall on guitar, Josh Ellis with clawhammer banjo, Jesse Morris on Bass and Leon Frost on mandolin. The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters are a leading force in carrying traditional music of the Virginia/Carolina Blue Ridge mountains into the new millenium.
Eddie Bond, Fiddle: Eddie Bond's four great grandfathers were old-time banjo players. He was raised by his grandmother, a singer and guitar player. Family members on both sides are musicians who played traditional music. In addition to the fiddle, Eddie plays guitar, autoharp, fiddle and banjo. He is a native of Fries, Virginia, some 6 miles from Galax.
Dennis Hall, Guitar: Dennis Hall is a grand nephew of Uncle Eck Dunford the droll-voiced fiddler and front man for the original Bogtrotters of Galax, a dance band recorded by Alan Lomax in the 1930's producing a treasure trove of recordings at the Library of Congress. Uncle Eck was very conscious of his Ulster Irish background and his name. The Bogtrotters refers back to that Northern Ireland heritage. Dennis is noted among old-time musicians for his unerring and rock-solid guitar timing.
Jesse Morris, Bass: Jesse is a bassist with rock-solid timing. He is also a son of a bassist. His father, Dale Morris, the bassist for the original Bogtrotters, was a string band musician for many years, working in Galax bands. He is a respected scholar in preserving traditional music.
Josh Ellis, Banjo: Josh Ellis was a Clapton-Style Rock and Roll guitar player when he came to Galax, but like salt on the road to Damascus, he was felled by a bolt of old-time lightning wielded by Ray Chatfield and his well-worn Vega Tuba-Phone. Like the other Bogtrotters, Josh is passionate about timing. As this is after all a dance music and if the timing is right, dancing becomes effortless. Josh works closely with Eddie on the fiddle, since the banjo and fiddle have to be in total communication.
Leon Frost, Mandolin: Leon Frost is an irrepressible mandolin player, bouncing around the stage putting in mandolin licks and occasional bursts of melody exactly where they belong. Leon joins in on the singing. and he comes from a musical family. The Frost family were among the earliest pioneers to record Galax area music.
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters - Schedule
| Stage | Date |
| Carter Family Fold | 06/12/2010 8:15 PM |
