The conversion from Rock and Punk to Bluegrass and Folk is an oft-told band tale in today’s music world. And so it is with The Howlin’ Brothers, an adrenalized trio that plays Bluegrass with the passion and verve of an amped-up Rock outfit.
The threesome — banjoist/fiddler Ian Craft, guitarist/harmonicat Jared Green and upright bassist Ben Plasse — met as Classical music students at New York’s Ithaca College a decade and a half ago. Coming from basic Rock backgrounds, the three musicians discovered Folk at roughly the same time and began playing in various configurations, but coalesced in 2003 when Craft and Green sang three-part harmony with Plasse on a traditional tune for his senior recital.
The newly formed The Howlin’ Brothers made an immediate impact in the Ithaca region, but eventually relocated to Nashville to see how they’d fare in a bigger pond. Once established, The Howlin’ Brothers self-released a trio of well-received recordings — 2007’s Mountain Songs, 2009’s Long Hard Year and 2011’s Baker St. Blues, plus the 2012 live compilation, Old Time All the Time. Throughout this period, Plasse was intermittently involved; he was occupied due to his sound production with various touring musicals. During his absences, the group’s bass role was filled with a variety of upright masters, including a couple of scions of Country royalty — David Spicher, son of Nashville fiddler Buddy Spicher, and JT Huskey, son of renowned session bassist Roy Huskey Jr.
In 2012, producer/Indie Rock artist Brendan Benson was working the board for Corey Chisel and seeking multi-instrumentalists to form a backing band. He found Craft and Green through a mutual friend and liked their work so much he offered to produce an album for them. With Benson at the console, The Howlin’ Brothers crafted two amazing albums, both released on Benson’s Readymade label — 2013’s Howl, featuring cameos from Country group Jypsi and Gov’t Mule founder and Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, and 2014’s Trouble. Both albums benefited from Benson’s ear for capturing the trio’s live vibe and visceral energy.
It seems unlikely that three guys from disparate locales like Wisconsin, New York and Nova Scotia could exercise such an easy and authentic mastery over a broad stylistic range, but The Howlin’ Brothers are flawless translators of Bluegrass, Country, Delta Blues, Gospel, R&B, Dixieland Jazz, Rock and Pop — the veritable musical kitchen sink.
Come for the Bluegrass, stay for the revival meeting and be baptized in the multi-genre genius of The Howlin’ Brothers.
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