JEFF SCROGGINS & COLORADO  

BLUEGRASS MONDAY  

COLLINS THEATRE

PARAGOULD, AR

    APRIL 25, 2016

 

L to R: Greg Blake, Jeff Scroggins, Tristan Scroggins, Isaac Calender, Ellie Hakanson

 

 

     "A bluegrass explosion," you say? Yes, indeed! Playing all over the USA, Canada, and Europe, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado is a band not unlike a string of firecrackers. They pop! And they keep on popping for over 200 shows annually.

     Jeff Scroggins is a two-time national banjo champion and the leader of this outstanding group of musicians. His inspiration ranges from bluegrass notables to rockers like Eric Clapton.

     Tristan Scroggins is Jeff's son, and at a mere twenty years old, this mandolin master is hot...as a firecracker! We think it is in his unusual technique: When he's really zoning out on a song and the licks are hot, Tristan is 'way up on his tippy-toes. The style surely is unique and so is this fine young musician and songwriter.

     Greg Blake. Just that name alone speaks guitar excellence and my, what a voice! Can he ever deliver a song! Many fans will know Greg from a previous band called the Bluegrass Missourians. The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) has honored him five times with the award for Guitar Player of the Year. He was twice nominated  by SPBGMA for Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year.

     Isaac Calender is the bass player and so much more. He hangs to the back in the stage configuration of the band, but he doesn't take a back seat to anyone. He moves comfortably from the upright bass to the fiddle for a beautiful rendition of "Faded Love". Isaac is a multi-instrumentalist who enjoys several stringed instruments.

     Ellie Hakanson is from Oregon. She brings extensive training to the band in bluegrass fiddle and classical violin. Her expertise has earned her the featured soloist role in symphony orchestras. Ellie's vocal work is also outstanding.

     We had never seen the band before, and we really didn't know what to expect. The band's vocal and instrumental work is second to none! Each member of Colorado assumes his or her proper role, and it works beautifully. They did their homework, too, mentioning two of Arkansas' favorite sons: Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell.

     These are the songs that Jeff Scroggins & Colorado selected for their performance at Bluegrass Monday at the Collins Theatre in downtown Paragould, AR: Wall Around Your Heart, Ramblin' Feels Good, Matterhorn, Just a Few Old Mem'ries, Runaway, Sometimes Dig For Taters, I Still Miss Someone, The Hills of My Home, Redwood Hills, Blue Night, Galveston (with dedication to Glen Campbell), Take Me in Your Lifeboat, Free-Born Man, Faded Love, It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels, One Morning in May, and the encore was a hot version of Rocky Top.

 

*Reminder to readers of this blog: If you missed the Bluegrass Monday show, the radio version of the 'live performance by Jeff Scroggins & Colorado will be aired.on radio at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, on KASU FM 91.9 "Down Home Harmonies". The program is also available at the same time on the 'Net at www.kasu.org.

 

For more information:

Jeff Scroggins & Colorado  jscolorado5@gmail.com

KASU 91.9 FM  www.kasu.org and mscarbro@astate.edu

 

Pick away!