The featured fiddler on the soundtrack of the Billy Bob Thornton movie, “The Astronaut Farmer,” bandleader Clarence Ferrari began playing Bluegrass fiddle at the age of five, winning his first Old Time fiddle contest in Nashville when he was six.

Since the age of seven, Clarence has performed with countless musicians including Pete Seeger and The Hudson River Sloop Singers, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, Davey Arthur of The Furies and Les Binks of Judas Priest, along with various orchestras, including the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

Clarence studied fiddle with Jay Ungar and Dewey Balfa, Jazz composition with Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd and Roland Hanna, and Classical composition with Thea Musgrave and Bruce Sailor.

Bringing his “fast and floating fiddle” to the world of Irish music, Clarence began touring North America and Europe at the age of nineteen with well-known Celtic groups such as Lenahan, the Jodee James Band, Ffynnon and The McCabes. He has also performed with musicians ranging from Davey Arthur of The Fureys and Les Binks of Judas Priest to Tom Chapin and Tom Paxton. He currently performs in New York City with Dominic Chianese, who plays “Uncle Junior” on HBO’s The Sopranos. Click here to see a nationally televised short feature on Dominic featuring Clarence.

Coming full circle, Clarence has returned to traditional American music. Rejoining the thriving New York Bluegrass scene, he has already sat in with such luminaries as Mark O’Connor, Chris Thile, Tony Trischka and Greg Garing. With his latest creative project, Blue Harvest, Clarence brings a lifetime of musical experience to the stage along with a deep love of tradition and an eye towards the future!

Brian's musical career began at the age of three, when his father purchased a third-hand Chickering upright piano. After many years of classical study, he developed an interest in jazz piano, and studied privately with Lee Shaw, Wray Downes, and Jeff Johnston. While in Montreal, Quebec, Brian became interested in acoustic folk music, and after watching the David Grisman/Jerry Garcia DVD 'Grateful Dawg', he began playing mandolin. He joined a bluegrass band in Canada (a funny place for hillbilly music, eh?) and has been picking ever since. Eventually, Brian's American citizenship brought him back south of the border, and in December 2006, he became a member of Blue Harvest.

Brendan O’Grady is a gifted multi-instrumentalist who has toured North America. While he was still in high school, Brendan played with the legendary Bill Monroe, who turned to Brendan and declared, “That bass is like a shot in the arm!”. The rest is history! Brendan’s driving, melodic bass is the pulse of Blue Harvest.

Rick Snell is an accomplished session player who has toured North America and Europe. Rick plays everything from experimental Art-Rock to traditional Irish music, including several recent appearances with the David Munnelly Band. He has studied classical guitar and worked extensively on improvisation and songwriting; studying jazz and bebop with Art Farmer, John Faddis, Steve Kahn, and the avant garde virtuoso guitarist Joe Morris. Rick took a serious interest in experimental forms of music, studying composition and electronic music with Stockhausen protégé Dary John Mizelle. Rick brings his unique style of flatpicking to the band.

Edith Silver has been compared to singers like Bonnie Raitt and Joan Armatrading. Edith has performed many genres of music, including Motown, Blues, Rock and Roll, and Folk, but she found her musical home when she discovered a group of Old-Time musicians and began singing with them at weekly jam sessions. Her earthy, soulful voice rounds out this talented ensemble!

Photos of Clarence , Brendan, Rick & Edith © 2006 Kimberlee Piper
Photo of Brian © 2007 Kimberlee Piper