Gord Armstrong...Guitar
& vocals, was born in Perth, Ontario in the Ottawa Valley and at the age
of six moved west with his family to Calgary
where he now resides. Coming from a very musical family there was always
music around the house while growing up. A self-taught player since the
age of fourteen, the guitar has become a lifelong passion. Over the
years he has played in many groups of varying musical styles and spent
two years playing on the road. In the mid 80’s he was drawn to acoustic
music and … the drive and instrumentals of bluegrass. "The great thing
about playing acoustic music is that - it's always about the music and
the wonderful people you meet."
Jack
Loree... Resophonic (dobro) guitar & vocals, has been playing music
nearly all of his life. He is relatively new to bluegrass and to the
dobro (which has become his obsession). He began playing guitar in party
bands while in high school in Westlock, Alberta and has been at it ever
since. In the summer of 1998, co-picker Lorne Foster talked Jack into
joining him at the BC Bluegrass Workshop in Sorrento, BC. Jack had his
Mom's old round-neck “reso-guitar” kicking around the house, but had
never before made a serious attempt to play it bluegrass-style with a
slide. He installed a cheap and cheesy conversion kit and showed up in
Sorrento with absolutely no idea what he was in for. After a terrifying
week in Sally Van Meter's intermediate/advanced dobro class (he had to
beg his way in), the light came on and the obsession began. The rest is
history – he’s hooked!! PS: the other band members refer to Jack as
“Slick Hick”!
Bill Figeczki...Bass & vocals, was born in Brooks, Alberta and moved
to Calgary for his post-secondary education. At the age of nine he was
provided with music lessons on the accordion and a few years later he
inherited his uncle's guitar. In high school Bill formed a three-piece
country/rock/blues group called Stronger Than Dirt, which necessitated
his move to the bass guitar. His interest in Bluegrass music began in
the late '70's when he attended a Bill Monroe concert with a co-worker
who played banjo. This spawned the bluegrass group Random Canyon with
performances at the Calgary Folk Festival and the very first Blueberry
Bluegrass Music Festival. Bill's musical group experience includes
stints with bands Rocky Road, Hot House Bluegrass Band, and Rock Bottom
Bluegrass Band - performing at clubs, concerts and festivals throughout
Alberta, British Columbia and Washington.
Lorne Foster...Mandolin
& vocals, grew up in Lundar, Manitoba and now lives in Olds, Alberta.
Lorne learned guitar at an early age - playing
old time music with his father (an old time fiddler). After leaving
home, he played guitar in dance bands in Drayton Valley and Red Deer.
Then one day Lorne was “test
driving” a mandolin in a Calgary music store in 1996 – a customer
said, "you should buy that" - so he did! It's
been a constant companion (next to wife "Lue") ever since. He credits
the BCBW Sorrento music camp
and John Reischman with teaching him basic mandolin "stuff" - the
rest is the "other stuff" he hears in his
head. His specialty is fiddle tunes - right up there with putting the
mandolin "chop" in bluegrass music.
His favourite saying: "there's always time for a tune...or two?"
