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Named for the sweeping ridgeline that runs from Swannanoa to Black Mountain in Western North Carolina, High Windy is one of the area’s fastest-rising groups. High Windy offers an original journey based in tradition, all the while breaking new ground in the genre.
The group draws from a combination of contemporary and traditional bluegrass styles while adding old-time themes and an original approach. In an area where great roots music is the norm, High Windy rises to the top, merging sophisticated arrangements with a style that is all their own. With over a dozen collective awards for their musicianship, High Windy are also selected members of the North Carolina Touring Artists Directory and the NC Music Heritage Directory.  High Windy has shared the stage with nationally-recognized acts such as Mountain Heart, the Lonesome River Band, Special Consensus, Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, Open Road and Hayseed Dixie.

1st Place Winners of the 82nd Annual Historic Fiddler’s Grove Bluegrass Band Competition 2006 www.fiddlersgrove.com

1st Place Winners of the Western North Carolina Bluegrass Band Competition 2005 www.agr.state.nc.us/markets/fairs/mtnfair/

Featured Artist on the Song of the Mountains syndicated PBS series. This series is distributed to more than 120 Public Television stations in the country www.songofthemountains.org

Selected Artist for the North Carolina Arts Council Touring Artists Directory www.ncarts.org

'A Greater Storm' was voted WNCW's No. 11 bluegrass release and No. 55 overall release for 2008

 

The first time I heard this band they were winning the Bluegrass Band competition at Union Grove. My ears perked up when I heard the good fiddling. Then came the fancy guitar playing, superb mandolin chops and stunning vocals. The next time I heard these guys they had made a CD and we gigging all over the place. And they should be. Truly one of the most creative bands to come out of Western North Carolina in a while. Their material is often surprising...was that a clawhammer banjo in a Bluegrass band? And, their original material is top notch. Keep your eyes on these boys. They've got deep roots in the music here in WNC and a good ear towards what makes new sound old. "A Greater Storm" is gaining high praise and it’s no surprise to me. Good tunes, good guys, good music!

Laura Boosinger

High Windy mightily blows in with some great traditional bluegrass music and some creative arrangements by some great pickers & vocalists on their new project "A Greater Storm." You don't wanna miss this storm because its got several ear ticklers and foot stompers. Great 'Grass by High Windy! It'll take ya by storm!

Gracie Muldoon
WorldWideBluegrass.com

This project from High Windy is truly a "must listen" for Bluegrass music lovers. 9 of the 12 tunes are well-crafted originals from band members. The presentation is a mixture of traditional and contemporary styles with tight vocals and clean instrumentals. Highly Recommended.

Andrea Bradstreet
Rocky Mountain Breakdown
KRFC Fort Collins, Colorado

High Windy is a new name to add to the roster of Bluegrass artists deserving airplay, and I'm real excited to be playing them. I hope their debut CD, "A Greater Storm" will make a big splash on the radio, and folks hear them on record and on stages for some time to come. That first cut REALLY is scoring high with me and my listeners, with its reference to the high price of fuel! Keep that music coming and blowing our way, High Windy!

Rik James
Americana Backroads
KGLT Bozeman, MT

I don't know whether to call this traditional or contemporary bluegrass because the ingredients of both are there. These guys have managed to build a bridge between the two, and that's a tough thing to accomplish. I'm really impressed with the song selection and the performance of those songs. I have a feeling High Windy will be around for a long time. Let that wind keep on blowin'!

Marvin O'Dell
The Grass is Bluer
HeartlandPublicRadio.org


 

 
Members of the Band Include:
Ty Gilpin originally hails from Goodlettsville, Tennessee where pickers such as Bill Monroe, who lived a few miles down the road at the time, influenced him at an early age. He relocated to the Asheville area in 1995 where he started playing professionally with local groups such as Second String Bluegrass. Ty Plays mandolin, writes and manages for the group. He currently works for Crossroads/Mountain Home Music doing sales and promotion for such groups as Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Lonesome River Band, Jerry Salley, Kenny and Amanda Smith and more.
   

Tim Gardner of Brevard, NC comes from primarily an old-time fiddle background, but is now a versatile multi-instrumentalist who has ventured into other genres that include country, Celtic, swing, classical, and of course, bluegrass. He learned many of the fiddle and dance tunes in his repertoire from his parents, Lo and Mary Gordon, who are well-established figures in the old-time music community.
Tim has traveled to fiddler’s conventions performing with his family since he was the age of seven and has won or placed in many fiddle competitions throughout North Carolina and in his native state of Florida. In addition to being a budding recording engineer and session musician, Tim frequently takes side work performing and/or recording with various WNC artists including Shannon Whitworth, Bobby Powell & Tim Jones, Allison Williams, Lyndsay Wojcik and Nikki Talley. During the day, Tim works for his dad at Cedar Mountain Banjos building some of the finest open-back banjos on the market. One of his banjos is featured on A Greater Storm, which he plays on "Dance Around the Daisies".

   
Mark V. Davis is a native resident of Asheville, North Carolina. Mark perfected his skills as a musician in high school playing the trumpet. He received the John Phillip Sousa Award for top musician in his graduating class. Mark comes from a long line of bluegrass musicians and has been around bluegrass music all of his life. His first performance on stage was in 1974 at the Shindig-on-the-Green.
Mark comes to High Windy after performing with the Asheville Bluegrass, an award-winning band formed by his father John Davis in 1968. He has played with known bands such as Appalachian Bluegrass, The Stoney Creek Boys, Hazel Creek and The Snowy Mountain Boys. Mark has been playing the bass, mandolin and guitar since the young age of 12 and has received numerous bass fiddle and bluegrass band awards. Mark enjoys playing all types of music but his heart belongs to bluegrass. Mark brings a blend of strong bass playing, lead and harmony vocals to High Windy.
   
Patrick McDougal, a second-generation musician, now owning and operating MUSIC PLUS STUDIOS In Hendersonville has played banjo professionally for many years. Born in Charleston, SC he grew up watching his father, Robert McDougal, perform at the Grand Ole Opry in the late sixties and early 1970‚s. In the past Patrick has performed with such notable musical talents as Herschel Sizemore, Jimmy Haley, The Blue Dogs, and country star David Ball. Patrick is also an accomplished songwriter. His work has been performed and recorded by the likes of Dan Tyminski,, Del McCoury, Alan Biby and Blue Ridge, The Lonesome River Band, Jeanette Williams Band, Dixie Creek Revival, and The Blue Dogs. Many of Patrick‚s songs have appeared on the top ten bluegrass charts.
   
Shane Lail was born in the foothills of Burke County, NC and raised in the mountains of Madison County, NC. He began playing guitar when he was 15 years old. Shane traveled and had a lot of good times in his first band The New Asheville Grass. This band went west to Grass Valley, CA and opened for the Tony Rice Unit. Later Shane joined Hazel Creek and focused on his singing skills. This group opened for such well-known bands as Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, and Blueridge.
A highlight of Shane’s musical career was joining Alison Krauss and Union Station on stage at East Tennessee State University. Shane enjoys spending time with his wife and children when not on the road. Music occupies most of his time, but when he is home in the mountains, he tries to make some time to search the hills for Native American artifacts.
Photographer: Coke Whitworth