PAT  FLYNN

 

 

Warming up a favorite mandolin at a gathering in Estill Springs, TN - 2011

Performing with a group of singers at a gathering of family and friends
in Estill Springs, TN - 2011

 

 

World-class guitarists are few indeed! One who stands alone for talent, versatility, range, and complete comfort in any number of musical styles is Pat Flynn. Once a member of the legendary New Grass Revival, along with Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, and John Cowan, Flynn continues to perform, record, and work steadily with young and upcoming musicians in the Nashville, TN, area.

 

A recent online radio broadcast of "Bluegrass Breakdown" with Dave Higgs on WPLN 90.3 (www.wpln.org) in Nashville featured a great 20-minute one-on-one with Pat Flynn. The subjects and the selections were taken from the final CD of Flynn's three-album trilogy called "reQuest,," "reVision," and "reNew". (www.patflynnmusic.com)

 

Higgs began the music from Flynn's "reNew" album with some great flat-top traditional songs in tribute to everybody's guitar hero, Doc Watson: "Little Rock Getaway" and "I Don't Love Nobody".

 

The title track on "reNew" is called "Kingdom Come". It has that 'newgrass' feel for which Flynn is easily recognized. He and Higgs discussed Chris Hillman's "Eight Miles High," mentioning that it was a monster hit until the song was labeled as a 'drug song' and stations began to drop it. Can you remember "Puff the Magic Dragon" which was popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary? The reputations of the two songs were much the same; however, through the years, the songs began to stand on their own merits.

 

And then there is reggae and the song "Change Yourself". Reggae? Now you're kidding, right? No sir! New Grass Revival wandered into Bob Marley territory without apologizing to anybody. Flynn went on to mention that at the time, Bela Fleck had not known anything about reggae. It didn't take Bela long to figure it out. "Change Yourself" is bluegrass done reggae-style.

 

You can find Pat Flynn's music at the usual online locations or at his website. You can actually find Pat himself on tour with Leon Russell when he's not working on a new project or giving of his time and talents to the students at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.

 

Further information:  www.patflynnmusic.com

 

Pick away!

Betty