Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is a group of Country - Folk - American Rock formed in 1965.
Biography
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is a group which was contemporary Byrds with its creation, and which will have an unquestionable influence by transforming the music folk-rock'n'roll into country-rock'n'roll which will be popularized later by The Eagles.In the beginning, it was a duet, " The New Coast Two" , consisted Jeff Hanna (guitar, song) and Bruce Kunkel (guitar, low) whereas they were still with the College. They then formed Nitty Gritty Dirt Band after having met Ralph Barr (guitar, low), the Thompson (mandoline, low, guitar, banjo, percussions, song), Jimmie Fadden (harmonica, song, battery, percussions) and Jackson Browne. Browne quickly left the group to continue a career in solo, it was replaced by John McEuen (banjo, flute, mandoline, steel guitar, song).
Their first album, " The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band", in 1967 was carried out. The second, carried out seven months later and entitled " Ricochet" , was acclaimed by the musical critics but was a commercial failure. Chris Darrow then replaced Kunkel.
They used electric guitars for their album " Rare Junk" (1968) then for " Alive! " (1969). Success was not with return, the group then separated for six months.
The group took again its activities in 1970 with McEuen, Hanna, Fadden, Thompson and Jim Ibbotson (guitar, Accordéon, battery, piano, song). The result was a new album " Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy" (1970), with their the most known song, a resumption of " Mr. Bojangles" composed by Jerry Jeff Walker.
Their following album " All the Good Times" (1972) was more country that the precedents. It includes/understands the traditional ones like " Jambalaya (one the bayou) " , " Civilian War Trilogy" and " Diggy Liggy Lo" , of the compositions of the group, " Jamaica, say you will" of Jackson Browne and " C You Feel It Too" of Richie Furay.
Their album which met the most success is Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972 - 1973). Triple album recorded with artists of country traditional like Mother Maybell Casing, Earl Scruggs, Doc. Watson, Roy Acuff and Merle Watson. He included/understood standards of music Bluegrass and Folk. The goal of the members, California NS, of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was to gather the young generation with that older which preferred the country and the bluegrass traditional. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made a success of the fusion of the kinds, where others had failed, while remaining faithful to the country and the bluegrass and by bringing a contribution rock'n'roll (electric guitar in particular). There were republications of the album in the years 1980 and in 2001.
The Thompson then left the group, which took the name of “The Dirt Band” . Their following album Stars and Stripes Forever (1974) was an album recorded in public.
In July 1974, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was one of the heads of poster of “The Ozark Music Festival, At the Missouri State Fairgrounds”. An event which had gathered approximately 350 000 spectators.
After the album Dream (1975), compilation Dirt, Silver & Gold in the form of triple album were carried out in 1976. Jim Ibbotson then left the group, replaced by the musician of studio Bob Carpenter. Dirt Band had then become a trio with Jeff Hanna, John McEuen and Jimmie Fadden.
Their album Year American Dream (1980), went rather well, just as Make has Little Magic (1981).
In 1982, they made a return to the sources, taking again the name of “Nitty Gritty Dirt Band” and Jim Ibbotson joined the group.
The album Let' S Go (1983) marked this return to the country music, mainly of the acoustic music.
In 1984 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band became the first group (rock'n'roll) American which carried out a round in the USSR.
The resumption of Will the Circle Be Unbroken was diffused in 1989 with the artists (surviving) of the first album, more Johnny Cash, Chris Hillman and Ricky Skaggs. The group received a Grammy Award for this album. With this McEuen occasion is replaced by Bernie Leadon, ex-Eagles
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band reached its maximum popularity for the period 1985-1989 with a series of songs to success, of which #1: " Long Hardware Road (The Sharecropper' S Dream) " (1984); " Modern Day Romance" (1985); and " Fishing in the Dark" (1987). Among their other successes: " Dance Little Jean" (1983); " I Coil Only You" (1984); " High Horse" (1985); " Again home in My Heart, " " Partners, Brothers and Friends" and " Stand has Little Rain" (1986); " Fire in the Sky, " " Baby' S Got has Hold one Me" and " Oh What has Love" (1987); " Working Man (Nowhere to Go) " and " I've Been Lookin'" (1988); and " Down That Road Tonight" and " When it' S Gone" (1989).
The group continued the recording of albums, in particular Live Two Five which celebrates the 25è birthday of the group. In 1999 they took again the recording of albums with Bang Bang Bang
The current members of the group are: Jeff Hanna (guitar, song), Jimmie Fadden (battery, song), Bob Carpenter (keyboards, low, song) and John McEuen (banjo, flute, guitar, mandoline).
External bonds
- website of the group Video
- : '' You ain' T going nowhere '', Nitty Gritty Dirt Band W Friends
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