The Coal Porters at the European Bluegrass Festival in La Roche sur Foron (Haute-Savoie, France)
Led by Kentuckian and former Long Ryder Sid Griffin, The Coal Porters, are a stunningly unconventional five-piece bluegrass band from London. While they perform originals and traditional material alongside songs from Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons, their new release Durango defies the traditional boundaries of bluegrass music which is why they proudly call themselves “the world’s first Alt-Bluegrass band.”
Durango will be released in the U.S. on January 19 and in the UK on January 25, 2010. Durango is the 4th and by far the best album from the Coal Porters, and one of the choice musical highlights of the year. This highly anticipated follow up to 2007′s Turn The Water On, Boy! is a clear country mile step forward, evoking the sounds of a bluegrass Clash, or a Bill Monroe for the 21st century.
The Coal Porters recorded Durango in April 2009 at Ed Stasium’s (Ramones, Mick Jagger, Phil Spector, The Long Ryders and more) Kozy Tone Studio just outside of Durango. The entire album was cut ‘Basement Tapes’ style with the same authenticity of Dylan and The Band. Durango features two special guests: Tim O’Brien who plays a wild mandolin solo on “Roadkill Breakdown” and Peter Rowan who duets with Miss Frey on his own song “Moonlight Midnight.”
The Coal Porters "Durango" (Prima Records)
Formed nineteen years ago in Los Angeles The Coal Porters were originally an electric rock group centered around Sid Griffin – ex-Long Ryder who wrote the hit single “Looking For Lewis And Clark.” The multi-faceted musician is also an acclaimed music Journalist (Mojo, Rock ‘n’ Reel, The Guardian, Variety, NME, Melody Maker), Lifetime Achievement Award winner in Italy and proud author of “Million Dollar Bash: Bob Dylan, The Band & The Basement Tapes.” Sid is currently in the process of writing a new book on Bob Dylan.
When Sid Griffin moved to London in the 1990′s he hooked up with Scottish stand up comedian Neil Robert Herd and as a result of a crazy dare, they decided to play acoustic bluegrass versions of their material at a charity concert in London. They found their true calling and said goodbye to their electric set forever. In 2006 with this new line-up, The Coal Porters were re-invented as an exciting and dynamic bluegrass combo featuring: Carly Frey – fiddle and vocals; Dick Smith – diesel banjo and vocals; Sid Griffin vocals, mandolin, harmonica and autoharp; Andrew Stafford, bass & and Neil Robert Herd guitar and vocals. The Coal Porter’s have toured Europe and parts of the U.S., and have received four star reviews for their previous record, Turn the Water Oh Boy!. With their new album Durango, The Coal Porters will tour the U.S. in March 2010.
The album will be digitally available at Amazon and iTunes. The Coal Porters, solo Sid Griffin and Long Ryders back catalogs are digitally available there already! Durango will be distributed by Burnside Distribution in the U.S.
– From Hard Pressed Publicity