The Growling Old Men are John Lowell (guitar & vocals) and Ben Winship (mandolin & vocals). The two veterans of the Rocky Mountain bluegrass and Americana scene present a relaxed set of virtuosic musicianship and tight harmonies – informed equally by the music of the Appalachian hills and the western plains.
In concert the Growling Old Men are both engaging and spontaneous as they strive to blend simplicity with complexity; all with good tone and a warm sense of humor. For nearly 30 years they’ve played at festivals, concerts and workshops across the US, Canada and Europe, and have four duo recordings to their credit. Additionally, in 2021, Lowell released, “She’s Leaving Cheyenne” and in 2019 Winship released two new projects – “Acorns” and “Toolshed.”
Mike Compton and Joe Newberry, masters of old-time mandolin and banjo/guitar, dig deep into early country music and blues. Their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, ‘mother’ ballads and original tunes. It’s not about the number of notes with Compton and Newberry, but telling the truth and respecting the song
