bluegrass

Stonefield Cellars hosts another High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association Monthly Meeting, featuring member band Southeast Express (see details below).

Note:  A brief period of Association/Members announcements will be held prior to the concert, followed by a jam session with band members and other local bluegrass musicians.   This is event is FREE to the public!

Event will be held INSIDE our warm and inviting Barrel Room.  

Southeast Express Members Bio

The bluegrass band, “Southeast Express” was originally formed in the late 70’s by Mr. LeRoy Gregory of Julian, NC. Unfortunately, Mr. Gregory was injured in a rodeo accident in 1994 and later passed away from those injuries. Today we are proud to carry on the band that he started in honor of LeRoy and the music that he loved!

The group is currently made up of the following members: Jim Boren of Pleasant Garden, NC on dobro, guitar and vocals; Ray Coble of Julian, NC on bass and vocals; Jon Cox of Randleman on mandolin and vocals; Brian Faircloth of High Point on guitar and vocals, and Jeff Wiseman of Reidsville NC on banjo and Vocals.

Our group performs traditional, Gospel and contemporary bluegrass with a little comedy thrown in and an occasional country or rock and roll song for variety. We have recorded 3 projects; “Southeast Express”, “On Track” and an all Gospel project, “Back To The Cross” of which we are very proud!

Some of Jim Boren’s earliest memories are filled with his father, Jim Sr., playing his guitar and singing the songs of the time such as Hank Williams’, Don Gibson’s and, of course the king, Elvis’. His mother, Martha, would join in on the “doghouse” bass occasionally to make it a family affair. Then the Fab Four came across the pond and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Jim, like so many of his generation, was captivated by the look and sound of The Beatles. So much so that Jim and his younger brother, Gray, made cardboard guitars, donned Beatle wigs and performed family shows lip-syncing the latest Beatle’s album. The interest and excitement Jim had for “his music” did not go unnoticed as Jim soon received an electric guitar for Christmas. His Dad then showed him some chords and Jim was on his way to the “rock-and-roll” years. He played in several rock bands up until his mid-twenties. About this time, Jim discovered the “high-lonesome” sound of Bluegrass music, and he was immediately drawn to sound of the dobro. He listened to the greats of resophonic guitar, “Uncle” Josh, “Cousin” Oswald, and Jerry Douglas. He studied the basics from them and then set upon developing his own style. Jim can seamlessly blend rock, country, blues, jazz, and bluegrass styles to create an exciting sound while always staying true to the “roots”. Jim joined Southeast Express around 1995. He has been the worship leader at his church for over 25 years. He is a member of the Praise Team and a wonderful testament to what God can do in one’s life. He has a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter who is also very talented in her own right. A regular “chip-off-the-old-block”! Jim is a real talent and a great asset to Southeast Express and we’re glad to have him.

John Cox grew up in southeast Guilford county and began learning the guitar while in high school, mainly by applying theory he learned in Mr. Sparks’ band classes. After high school he furthered his skills by hanging out with his uncles who had been playing bluegrass together for most of their lives. They were big fans of The Seldom Scene, but Uncle Clarence had some Doc Watson and a few Tony Rice records which had a big influence on his playing. Uncle Larry inspired him to take up the mandolin. He has played with a few local bands over the years including Sweetwater, Never Too Late, and Linda and Company, who played monthly at Brown’s Ole Opry for about five years until it closed -down. He currently plays with Southeast Express on mandolin.

Brian Faircloth has always had a love for music as long as he can remember, from standing around the piano with his mom playing and everybody singing to our dad playing guitar and singing ‘Young Love’ by Sonny James. He started taking piano lessons in early elementary school but wasn’t interested in learning how to read music. Brian could pick up and learn songs by ear much quicker. Around 3^rd grade he started with the guitar and fell in love. He took lessons from Kirby Smith for several years all while learning Banjo and dabbling with the mandolin. Then he played festivals while in high school and picked around with a few other groups afterwards. Work, family and life in general seemed to take priority over playing for many years but a few years ago he bought a pedal steel and that seemed to spark some interest in getting back into the groove. Luckily enough Brian was asked to come play with this fine group of fella’s and it sure has brought a lot of joy back into his life.

Jeff Wiseman was born in a little coal town called Oak Hill, West Virginia. His love for music was instilled at an early age by his mother and father. His mother would take her family to every church revival in a 50 mile radius. There, and in his home church, he would come to love the Lord and hear the old hymns and learn the rich harmonies that he would take with him through his life. His father loved old time and bluegrass music. As a boy, Jeff’s dad would take him to the festivals and fiddlers conventions where he would immerse himself in the sights and sounds. Jeff met his wife, Amy, while serving in the USAF. They reside in Reidsville, NC where they enjoyed three wonderful children, Nic, A.J. and Tyler. He started playing with Southeast Express in May 2007.

For information about High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association and today’s band visit

http://www.highlonesomestrings.org/

Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages will be for sale.  Your purchases are what enables us to host great live music in our community!  Thank you in advance for your patronage.