Mandolin legend Frank Wakefield will make a rare appearance at Pickin’ In The Pasture bluegrass festival on Saturday, August 23rd in Lodi NY. Frank is a master musician and a major influence on mandolin players. He is very eclectic and is well known for the wide variety of musical styles he performs.
Wakefield began his career in the 1950’s playing hardcore traditional bluegrass with such icons as The Stanley Brothers, and Jimmy Martin. Frank’s long partnership with Red Allen in their famous band “The Kentuckians” gave us some of the best loved classic sounds from the early days of Bluegrass. Bill Monroe was quoted saying, “No one has come closer to my music than Frank Wakefield. He is powerful musician.”
In 1964, Frank became the mandolinist for the very popular Greenbriar Boys, lending his considerable instrumental and vocal abilities to their many successful albums and live performances. Frank also played lineups with Blues legends such as Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Yank Rachell, Bukka White.
During this period Frank also began to compose classical sonatas for the mandolin and arrange classical pieces for traditional bluegrass instruments. These efforts led him to guest appearances with New York Philharmonic conductor Leonard Bernstein in 1967, and a guest spot in 1968 with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra.
His success in the classical field notwithstanding, Frank continued to work with a host of Bluegrass artists throughout the late 1960’s.
Throughout the early 1970’s Frank Wakefield toured widely with the country-rock band New Riders Of The Purple Sage and multi-instrumentalist Jerry Garcia. He also opened shows for The Grateful Dead.
Frank Wakefield now fronts his own group, The Frank Wakefield Band that performs a wide range of material from throughout his amazing musical career. “Frank may play a traditional bluegrass standard, follow it with a classical sonata, break into a mariachi tune, then a Grateful Dead number”, says Andy Alexander the promoter of Pickin’ In the Pasture.
Frank is also an outstanding instructor who believes in passing on techniques to young people that he has acquired over a lifetime. His most famous pupil and close friend, David Grisman said about Frank, “He split the Bluegrass mandolin atom. Some of us, obviously, will never be the same again.” In addition to his two stage performances at Pickin’ In The Pasture, Frank will conduct an instructional workshop at the festival.
“Frank Wakefield is the most colorful character I can think of in bluegrass music”, commented Andy Alexander. “He is a contraire. Wake Frankfield backs talkwards and says bad when he means good. He refers to his fans as his “air conditioners”. Frank can get way out there both with his music and in a conversation, but one thing for sure, Frank Wakefield is a heck of a nice guy who really cares about his fans. He told me that he is planning on spending a lot of time at Pickin’ In The Pasture hanging out with the people.”
Frank Wakefield will perform his first set of music at 4:00 pm and his last set at 8:00 pm. Franks mandolin workshop is at 5:00 pm. For more information about Pickin’ In The Pasture and the lineup of other performers visit www.pickininthepasture.com or call (607) 582-6363.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by (morristownmando @ Aug. 10 2008, 19:47)
Bookmarks