THE CLAIRE LYNCH BAND

CSPS debut | There were very few role models for a young woman starting out on the bluegrass highway back in the mid ‘70s, those days when Claire Lynch joined a band called Hickory Wind. A native of Kingston, New York, who had lived in Northern Alabama since the age of 12, Claire was offered a position in the band, decided she was going to be a bluegrass singer, and that was pretty much that. After changing its name to the Front Porch String Band, the group worked regularly throughout the Southeast over the next several years, becoming fan favorites on the strength of its open-minded musical approach and incredible lead singer.

By 1981, despite a handful of well-received albums (including Claire’s first solo effort, Breakin’ It) and increasing word-of-mouth acclaim, the band had tired of the grind and called it quits. A decade would pass before the band regrouped, but Claire put the time to good use. In addition to raising a family, she launched dual careers as a songwriter (her songs have been recorded by Patty Loveless, the Seldom Scene, Cherryholmes, Kathy Mattea, the Whites and Stephanie Davis) and a session vocalist.  Her exquisite harmonies have graced albums by such leading artists as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, Kathy Mattea, Jesse Winchester, Sarah Watkins and Ralph Stanley. 

A re-energized Front Porch String Band roared back onto the scene with their 1991 album, Lines and Traces. The success of that album and the band’s resumed touring led to Claire’s second solo album, the critically-acclaimed Friends for a Lifetime in 1993.  Next came the Grammy-nominated Moonlighter in 1995, followed by 1997’s sublime Silver and Gold, which also received a Grammy nomination. During the next several years on the fast-track, the Front Porch String Band evolved into one of the sharpest, most exciting post-modern bluegrass bands on the circuit. Their last recording effort was Rounder’s Love Light, a collection more-than-half comprised of original Claire Lynch songs, which was described as “a masterpiece … an Americana programmer’s true delight.”

In 2000, husband and mandolinist Larry Lynch, founder and instrumental mainstay of the band, decided to follow his ever-increasing musical passion for Celtic style picking. For the next few years, Claire enjoyed another hiatus from the road while searching out new players. In the fall of 2004, she made plans to reunite with guitarist and former bandmate Jim Hurst. They were soon joined by Ontario’s fiddler extraordinaire Jason Thomas and redoubtable bassist Mark Schatz, most recently of Nickel Creek, to make up the Cllaire Lynch Band.

In 2005, Claire signed another three-album deal with Rounder Records. The first release, New Day (March 2006), was a top favorite pick for several publications, scored a #1 song on the National Bluegrass Survey and an IBMA nomination for “Song of the Year.” Next came the anthology collection, Crowd Favorites (October 2007), which earned another couple of top 10 positions on the survey. The latest release from the band, last year's Whatcha Gonna Do?, landed on a number of year-end Best of 2009 lists, and is still charting on the National Bluegrass Survey.

This spring, Jim Hurst left the band and was replaced by guitarist  Matt Wingate who, despite his youth, brings impressive credentials and a mature, improvisational musicality far beyond his years. In 1997, he won Merlefest's Doc Watson Guitar Championship at the age of 15, then went on to hone his bluegrass chops performing across the US and Europe as Valerie Smith's lead guitar player. Matt joined the Greencards in 2004, an experience that immersed him in a musically broader, more progressive repertoire, and later played with the Lovell Sisters. Flatpicking Guitar featured Matt on the cover of its spring 2009 issue, praising not only his prowess, but also his top-notch musicianship and his considerable talents as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

Thu Apr 29 | 8 pm
CSPS | 1103 Third St SE | Cedar Rapids
$17 + fee advance | $21 door