Legends of the Freight Series: This show is part of an ongoing series honoring artists who have contributed to the Freight’s legacy and history over many decades.

The California Bluegrass Reunion is an annual celebration of California’s rich bluegrass tradition, featuring an extraordinary lineup of musicians with deep California roots who have all made significant contributions to the genre. This year’s concert brings together some of the finest talents in bluegrass, including Bill Evans (banjo), John Reischman (mandolin), Jim Nunally (guitar), Chad Manning (fiddle), Sharon Gilchrist (bass) and Mike Witcher (dobro). These musicians have performed together in various combinations for decades, including thirteen annual performances at The Freight.

This year, the California Bluegrass Reunion will pay tribute to the California songwriters and tunesmiths that have shaped acoustic music over the last five decades, including new performances of songs from such California-based composers as Kate Wolf, Herb Pedersen, Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, Tony Rice, David Grisman and more – including, of course, the compositions of the Bluegrass Reunion band members themselves. And don’t be surprised if some of these songwriters show up to help the band perform these songs!

Bill Evans has been involved with bluegrass music and the world of the banjo as a player, teacher, composer, writer and historian for over forty-five years. He is a recipient of the coveted Steve Martin Banjo Prize, is a member o the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame and the author of “Banjo for Dummies.” He occupies a unique niche in the banjo world: celebrated worldwide for his traditional as well as progressive bluegrass banjo styles as well as his innovative original compositions, he also enjoys a reputation as an outstanding instructor as well as being an expert player of 19th century minstrel and classic banjo styles. Bill currently tours with his solo show The Banjo in America. In over twenty-seven years as a California-based performer, he has performed with David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Alan Munde, Jody Stecher, Eric & Suzy Thompson, David Bromberg, Tony Trischka, and Kathy Kallick among many others. For ten years, Bill hosted a monthly bluegrass residency at the Kensington Circus Pub with Jim Nunally and Chad Manning that drew fans from all over the world. He hosts five instructional courses for Peghead Nation.

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John Reischman is a Grammy Award-winning musician and has been a foundational mandolinist, composer, bandleader, and musical educator in bluegrass and North American roots and folk music since emerging from the vibrant “new acoustic” music scene of the Bay Area in the 1980s. A founding member of the groundbreaking Tony Rice Unit, Reischman’s mastery of bluegrass, old-time, swing, and multiple Latin American musical styles, coupled with an Old Masters sense of tone, taste and musicality, has brought him a global reputation as one of the finest mandolinists of his era. John was a founding member of the California band The Good Ol’ Persons and he has led John Reischman & The Jaybirds for over twenty years.

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Chad Manning is a San Francisco Bay Area fiddler who has played with the David Grisman Quintet & Bluegrass Experience and Laurie Lewis. Over the years, he has shared the stage with J. D. Crowe, Curly Seckler, Alan Munde, and Tony Trischka, contributing his fiddle work to a wide variety of projects. Together with his wife Catherine, Chad runs Manning Music in Berkeley, California. The school serves over 250 students. Chad also teaches online courses from Peghead Nation. Chad’s current band, Charlie Torch, brings his family into his music. With his son Jasper on mandolin, daughter Jayna on guitar and vocals, and long-time friends Tyler Stegall and Mark Schatz, the group creates music that reflects their shared history and love for bluegrass and country traditions.

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Jim Nunally is a musician, composer, record producer and teacher – all in addition to being one of the finest guitar players in the world. A Bay Area native, his third-generation traditional music roots began in Arkansas with this guitar-playing grandfather who taught Jim’s father who in turn taught Jim. This pedigree contributes to his unmistakably traditional sound. For the last several years, Jim has co-led the Nell & Jim Band with Nell Robinson, performing a unique mix of original Americana sounds based around their outstanding duet singing and Jim’s arranging. Jim has performed with the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, John Reischman & The Jaybirds, and Keith Little as well as leading the path-breaking California band Due West.

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Sharon Gilchrist has long made her home in the American acoustic music scene. You may have seen her playing mandolin or upright bass, singing a traditional ballad, or performing an original piece on a concert or festival stage anywhere in North America. She has performed with the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, Scott Nygaard and John Reischman, Darol Anger, Laurie Lewis, Scott Law and others. She earned a degree in Mandolin Performance from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and has taught mandolin for 15 years both privately and online at Peghead Nation and at some of the nation's finest music camps. Sharon currently resides in Nashville, TN after living for almost a decade in California.

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Mike Witcher, master resonator guitarist,  has toured and recorded with the likes of Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, Peter Rowan, Bette Midler, The Gibson Brothers, Sara Watkins, and Laurie Lewis. Known for his gorgeous tone and tasteful playing, Mike is one of the most sought after educators in the world of slide guitar.

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Nell & Jim features Jim Nunally on vocals, guitar, and banjo, and Nell Robinson on vocals and miniflute, tight harmonies and original genre-bending music. “Those just getting acquainted with Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally ought to know they are hardly the unassuming artists their eponymous band moniker might make them out to be. Seasoned songwriters and musicians hosting the likes of performances with PBS and the former Prairie Home Companion, Grammy accolades, and more between their cumulative resumes... the duo has made a shift to look inward – literally and emotionally – for the inspiration to their latest batch of songs.” (Kira Grunenberg, American Songwriter).

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