The Denison Bluegrass Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, in Burke Recital Hall (240 West Broadway). Directed by Andrew Carlson, chair of the music department, Richard Hood of the English department, and Casey Cook of the music department, the ensemble plays a blend of traditional Appalachian, country bluegrass and progressive acoustic music. At this free, public concert, the three directors will play alongside 22 Denison students and two community students, including violinists, violists, mandolin players, guitarists and vocalists.

Carlson began his love of the fiddle at age 5, when his grandfather began teaching him traditional pieces. Today, he is accomplished on the fiddle and the violin, having been twice named the state champion fiddler in Georgia and once named the grand champion fiddler of Ohio. As a studio musician and string arranger Carlson has recorded for Warner Bros., Atlantic, Elektra and Polydor. Carlson joined the Denison faculty in 2000 and teaches violin and music history.

When he is not teaching in the English department, Hood frequently can be found holding jam sessions in Slayter, playing old time music on a variety of instruments. He also plays with the old-time dance band, The Butterbeans, as well as professionally with The Bristol Brothers (Dynamic Recording).

A newcomer to the group, Casey Cook began teaching bluegrass guitar part time for Denison last year. He started playing bluegrass as a child for his family's band, Special Cookin'. He was inducted, along with his brother, into the North Florida Bluegrass Hall of Fame as the youngest professionally performing duo in Bluegrass. He co-founded an Atlanta-based bluegrass band, with whom he still plays, called the Dappled Grays. One of Cook's vocal bluegrass tunes was featured on an episode of MTV's "The Real World."

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Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- Denison Bluegrass Ensemble Concert; 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9, Burke Recital Hall (240 West Broadway). Free and open to the public. Call (740) 587-6220 to confirm.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575