Okie Weiss & The Murder Ballads

There's not many bands young bands that can shift seamlessly from a blazing Bill Monroe classic to a 300-yr-old Turkish string-band instrumental, then proceed to shake the foundations with a foot-stomping original soul tune. But then, not many bands have the necessary ingredients for the piping-hot dish that is Okie Weiss & The Murder Ballads. The band was born out of the weekly all-night picking sessions at the Cock 'n Bull Pub on the infamous Rue St. Catherine, right down in the heart of Montreal - the jazz city.
Each member of the band is a schooled musician in his own right with heavy jazz or classical backgrounds. Brian (mandolin) and Pete (guitar) are originally from the USA and were drawn to Montreal by its musical legacy (and its beautiful women). Naturally, they flatpicked their way into the hearts of the kickinest bluegrass and jazz players in the city: Joe Grass (resophonic slide guitar), Jarrod Atkinson (bass) and Adam Stotland (guitar).
The five establised a musical residency at the Cock n' Bull on Sunday nights, packing the house each week and turning Sunday into the new Saturday, or dare I say, Friday. Using the traditional string-band format, the boys delved into the music they loved: classic bluegrass, newgrass, klezmer, western swing and classic rock, soul and rhythm 'n blues. People young and old were turning up and staying up to share in the energetic grooves these boys laid down until 3 AM each night.
In November 2006, Okie Weiss & The Murder Ballads hit the studio to record an album of totally original newgrass material. Having emerged in high spirits, they're ready to take their fire on the road in 2007, confident that audiences around North America will respond like the good people of Montreal.
The motto says it all: Faster. Meaner. Murder.