The Great Bear Trio

The Great Bear Trio is an exciting and energetic family band from Fulton, NY. Since the spring of 2000 these three talented musicians have been performing their unique blend of Celtic, French-Canadian, Scandinavian and Appalachian music at concerts, festivals and dance halls across the country. Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand are already well-known and respected musicians at the impressive ages of eighteen and sixteen respectively. Andrew often takes the lead on fiddle or nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed-fiddle) as well as playing accompaniment on guitar, bouzouki and banjo. Noah is also a gifted fiddler and mandolin player but he adds a powerful groove to Great Bear on an assortment of world-beat percussion instruments including the African djembe and the Australian didgeridoo. The boys are joined by their mother Kim, playing a solid and inventive style of piano all her own. In 2003 the trio released their self-titled, debut recording (GBR CD001). A year later Kim also appeared on Andrew and Noah’s widely acclaimed project Driftage (GBR CD002). Now Great Bear has returned with a brand new CD – Dancing Again (GBR CD003) which features phenomenal original tunes and arrangements; firmly rooted in tradition but wildly fun and adventurous at the same time.