Born from a bluegrass jam in Rhinebeck NY in the winter of 2007 Grass Fed is a five piece band performing at Hudson Valley venues. Playing traditional bluegrass tunes as well as originals, Grass Fed is sharing an old sound with new ideas that local audiences are loving.
Original band member and songwriter Dan Budd is relatively new to music and bluegrass since his beginning at the 2007 house jams. Dan's approach to sticking to the roots of the music, while writing songs that touch the heart
and play on family humor are capturing local fans. "I went to Pete Wernick's (Dr. Banjo) bluegrass jam camp in the summer of 2007 at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, having played guitar for about 3 months prior. The people and the music were so inviting, I knew then that playing and singing bluegrass would be part of the rest of my life."
Grass Fed has really gained praise from the audience in 2009 because of the depth that new members bring. Grass Fed plays bluegrass music to carry on the tradition and to share music and life stories. Ultimately its all about having fun!
I'm Doing That, Too
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Everywhere He Goes
Letter from a fan:
I must email you and tell you how much I enjoyed my experience to Taste Budd's this Sunday. My wife and I rode my motorcycle up for the afternoon specifically to listen to your band Grass Fed and enjoy dessert before we headed out to dinner. This was a special trip as it was the first time my wife rode with me. The dessert was fantastic and we really enjoyed your band. And we both couldn't believe you played my favorite motorcycle song...Black Vincent.
The comfortable atmosphere and your openness with exposing yourself as a musician playing your own songs like the one for your sister made the experience one I will not soon forget. And despite living down in Poughkeepsie...I will be back up again and will be looking for you to perform again.
Chris Dayger
Band Members
Dan Budd: Guitar, Vocals
Originally from Vermont, Dan is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and spent 10 years as a cook and pastry chef in NYC as well as training in France. He worked at such notable establishments as The River Café, The Peninsula Hotel and Park Avenue Café. Dan gained national fame for his pastry work in the mid 90's. He was named twice as "Top Ten Pastry Chef in America" by Chocolatier magazine, and was nominated for pastry chef of the year by The James Beard Foundation. Chef Budd taught Baking and Pastry Arts at The CIA for 6 years while opening his own business, Taste Budd's in Red Hook, NY. Married with two children Dan also likes to train the family dog Max for agility trials. Dan is now managing Taste Budd's Café, 50 employees, and a mobile bakery that attends festivals all around NY, including Bluegrass Festivals! Playing music at work, with family, on vacation and with Grass Fed is Dan's agenda. He hopes to keep writing songs, learn more about music, sing stronger at every show and eventually be able to flat pick more solos on his guitar.
Jeremy Robbins: Banjo, Vocals
Jeremy purchased his first five string banjo at the Stormville Flea Market when he was fourteen. Jeremy also acquired a copy of Pete Seeger's How to Play the 5 String Banjo, which proved to be an indispensable resource, but he did not begin taking lessons in Scruggs-style picking until college. As a senior at Wesleyan University, Jeremy co-founded a bluegrass band called Middletown, playing at various frat houses and receiving in compensation pitchers of beer and bottles of whiskey. Jeremy joined the Riverbank Banjo Band in 2001, and became a student of Roger Sprung. He has also taken lessons with Joan Harrison and Tony Trischka. Jeremy's vocal training has been in the context of musical theater and burlesque performance. Jeremy joined in jam sessions with Dan Budd, which ultimately led to the formation in 2008 of Grass Fed. Jeremy and his wife Melissa live in Hopewell Junction with their two young sons, Sawyer and Emmett.
Peter Conklin: Mandolin, Vocals
He has a joyful spirit in rehearsal and on stage that is like the smiling musical glue that holds the band together. Pete considers every musician one to hear and respect, and is always out to help the sound. Keeping a perfect mandolin chop and flying into solos Pete also finds the harmony notes with his voice.
At age fifteen Pete showed up at his first band practice expecting someone to bring an electric lead guitar for him to play. It ended up being an electric bass guitar. Ever since that day he has been playing electric bass with his friend’s rock band. Pete had an acoustic guitar and started joint lessons with Jeff Belding. Jeff became Pete’s mentor and teacher for twenty years and first introduced Pete to bluegrass and flat picking. At age 18 Pete heard the song Beaumont Rag and found a passion for bluegrass that has never left him since. He has been a member of a number of Hudson Valley bands including Synergy and The Rude Boys. In 2007 Pete attended the Grey Fox festival and remembers hearing Dan Budd on stage with the Jam Camp performers announcing he was from Red Hook. Pete decided that day that he would start playing mandolin, and wondered if he would meet Dan since they lived close. In the spring of 2009 Dan heard Pete playing mandolin at a HVBA jam and invited him to join Grass Fed. Pete also currently sings and plays mandolin for Out of The Blue Grass and Rich Hines & The Hillbilly Drifters. A graduate of Marist College, Pete worked for Ballantine Sound and is currently an Audio Video technician for Vassar College. He is an active member of the board of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association.
Terry Ghee: Fiddle
Terry Ghee has been playing music all his life. Terry's experience with music and playing with other bands keeps a strong ear to Grass Fed rehearsals and has helped the band grow musically. Terry's fiddling as well as his quick wit on stage are known to keep listeners smiling.
At age 13 Terry began playing electric bass and first picked up the fiddle around 15. He was first inspired by watching The Dillard’s (who played The Darlings on the Andy Griffith Show) and listening to saxophone and violin player Andy Stein and Swing and Jazz violinist Stuff Smith. For over 10 years Terry played fiddle for multiple bar bands in Swing, R & B, and Honky Tonk. He has always been drawn to music with a strong, swinging and fast beat and naturally found hard driving bluegrass to be one of his favorites. Terry has played with Hudson Valley bands The Moonshiners, Men in Debt, and most recently, for nearly 13 years with Fiddlers Bridge before the band broke up. Not wanting to lose his chops, Terry put his ear to the wind and found Dan Budd’s internet call for a Grass Fed fiddler. Terry loved the name Grass Fed so much he knew he had to join the band just for that (but he still eats meat!). Terry also currently plays fiddle for Fairlane Envy. This master carpenter is a native of Hyde Park, New York. He also plays piano, upright bass and saxophone and loves to collect and drive Edsel cars.
Lynn Lipton: Bass
After teaching nursery school for many years, Lynn retired and picked up her dusty fiddle that had been sitting in a corner for over 40 years. Several years ago, her grandson encouraged her to try playing his bass and it was instant LOVE. Lynn Lipton drives the bass with a passion and obvious respect for bluegrass music. She is an active member of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association, managing the website and she is also known to love a song sooo much that Grass Fed has to play it twice!
Photos
Schedule
SatJul 24
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Rosendale Street Fair - Rosendale, NY
TuesAug 3
3:30 - 6:00 pm
Arbor Ridge BBQ, 11 Mt. Laurel Lane - Rhinebeck, NY
