Telegraph Road
Hawley, Minnesota, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Let’s face it, Johnny Butten is not a household name in the greater American bluegrass family.
Never mind that he’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest banjo player — or that he’s more than eye-popping on fiddle, guitar and mandolin — and he plays bass. And, that he’s performed with some notables, including Josh Graves, Kenny Baker, Bill Keith and Peter Rowan.
Read more... - Bluegrass Journal
Bluegrass musician Johnny Butten has apparently spent the last few years performing in Europe and recently relocated to the United States. This release features eight selections ably performed by Johnny and his band, the Newgrass Underground, including a jazzed-up rendition of “Heavy Traffic Ahead” and Tim O’Brien’s “Late In The Day.” The disc concludes with Johnny’s 16-year-old daughter Hannah Butten’s interpretation of the Alison Krauss classic “Oh Atlanta.” This CD is a nice offering of mainstream bluegrass that should pique interest in the music of Johnny Butten and the Newgrass Underground. (Johnny Butten, 23428 90th Ave N., Hawley, MN 56549, www.johnnybutten.com.)
- Bluegrass Unlimited
It’s official… The Guinness Book has declared that Brit Johnny Butten is the World’s Fastest Banjo Player, besting the record established last year by Todd Taylor.
Read more... - The Bluegrass Blog
Congratulations to Telegraph Road for taking first place in the annual Race for a Place Band contest, held at the Harvest Jam. First prize includes a $1,000 contract for a spot on the Saturday Main Stage of the 2011 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. Echoing the Harvest Jam theme of helping good bands become better bands, the purpose of the contest is to provide an alternative method by which member groups can pursue a place at the MBOTMA Festival and to provide an alternative method for MBOTMA to select the best acts to appear at the MBOTMA Festival.
Read more... - Cybergrass.com
World's fastest banjo player Johnny Butten signed with Recording King, Tuesday March 16, 2010. As their new endorsee, Johnny will be playing the new RK-Elite-75. The RK-Elite-75 was introduced by Recording King as their most traditional Pre-war style banjo ever. Modeled after the original Mastertone banjos of the 1930's the all-new Recording King RK-Elite offers players vintage sound and handcrafted construction.
Read more... - Cybergrass.com
I've received numerous solo albums over the years but it hasn't been since Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells that I've encountered a solo album that was hot and completely by an unassisted single artist. Johnny Butten's debut American album is such a release. Welcome to Solo. Solo has been released and is now available.
Read more....
- Cybergrass.com
Discography
Telegraph Road was born out of Johnny Butten and Newgrass Underground. The latter has since evolved into an Americana band and Telegraph Road is bluegrass.
Please take a moment to view these video links of Telegraph Road in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDx7MypX5AU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdhmdyh8JXM&feature=related
Thank you :-)
Photos
Bio
How Can An Englishman, Californian, Kentuckian and North
Dakotan all find something in common..... bluegrass music!
Johnny Butten; Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals
(Guinness World Records Fastest Banjo Player)
Multi award winning, multi-instrumentalist. Johnny originates from England where he became intrigued by the banjo, on the Beverly Hillbillies show when he was just 9yrs old.
As one of Europes finest banjo players and multi-instrumentalists Johnny toured Europe for 12 years as a sideman with various country and bluegrass bands and has worked with many bluegrass greats including, Bill Keith, Peter Rowan, Kenny Baker, Josh Graves to name a few
A grounded individual, from a poor working class family, he knows how to give an audience value for money.
“A person can stay at home at listen to CD's for nothing, If they are paying to come see a show, then a show is what they should get”
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Matt Phelps; Guitar (lead), Vocals
The boy from Kentucky, Matt Phelps, relocated to become an integral part of Telegraph Road. Matts amazingly clean flatpicking immediately won him a place in the hearts of
the Minnesota Bluegrassers, when Telegraph Road won the Minnesota Bluegrass Band Contest, Nov 2010.
Matt has been steeped in bluegrass all his life and has also worked with Kenny Baker, Josh Graves, to name a few.
His raw, clean vocals give the band their distinctive sound
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Craig Mozley; Bass, Vocals
Originally from California, Craig now makes his home in northern Minnesota. Back in the day he played rock and roll, but stumbled across bluegrass and fell in love with the music.
Craig has performed with some great acts in his career including acts like Leroy Mack. A seasoned musician, his solid creative bass lines keep the boys on time and add drive to the
bands sound.
Craig can be heard picking up the bass vocals on Gospel songs
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Chris Heth; Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals
The Chemist from North Dakota, plays mean hard drivin' rhythm on guitar or mando.
True to the old Flatt and Scruggs style, Chris plays little lead but when he does, his ?Monroe like' riffs bark out.
Chris hosts an early morning bluegrass show on 96.3 FM out of Fargo, ND and loves all bluegrass from Monroe to Skaggs and Marty Stuart.
His rich baritone compliments the bands harmonies well.
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How is it that a carpenter, a pump re-furbisher, a truck
driver and a chemist find each other in the first place and
then proceed to perform some of the finest bluegrass out
there?
Well they are all very down to earth guys, so book
'em and ask 'em!
Telegraph Road is pure unadulterated bluegrass.
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