GeorgeStillhouse Rounders is a group of Hudson Valley musicians who play traditional, acoustic, old time rural stringband music. Their sound is reminiscent of early stringbands recorded throughout the rural south and mid-west, during the “Golden Years” – the 1920’s and ‘30’s – of stringband music. It grew out of traditional ballad and dance music of the Appalachian Mountains, as well as early country music before it became modern “Country and Western”.
The musicians are Gil Sayre on guitar and lead vocal. Originally from West Virginia, Gil now lives in Sparkill, NY. He is from a musical family and grew up listening to his mother and other family members, singing and playing mostly for their own entertainment.
“…concert performances or music for participatory contra or square dancing for your festival, coffeehouse, wedding or other event.”
On the banjo is Mike Fleck. Although raised in Bronx, NY, Mike has played old time banjo for more than a decade, including with such well known, old time bands as “Cool as Grits” and “Hoppinjon”. Mike currently lives in Esopus, NY.
Geoff Harden plays bass, sings harmony vocals, and has played for many years in both traditional old time stringband and bluegrass bands. Geoff is from Mt. Tremper, NY, which is located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains.
Last but not least on fiddle, Mark Schmidt is a stringband veteran. He has played for many years with a variety of bands, most notably “Hoppinjon”, “St. Regis Stringband” and “Black Creek”. Mark is from the village of Altamont, NY. Stillhouse Rounders combines wild and crazy fiddle and banjo dance tunes, with driving vocal renditions of traditional songs, to deliver an infectious blend of music “poured straight from a Mason jar”