Players

The players that play on Gravedigger's Delight are all outstanding musicians and great people. Here's some background and insight into the unique contributions these folks made to this record.

Guy Murrel -- I started playing bass at the ripe old age of 22 (1982). Spent the next eight years jamming with friends in Costa Mesa, Calif. Started writing songs in 1988. Moved to Boulder, Colo. in 1990 and helped start Crescent Moon, an original band playing Dead-flavored music. All the while, kept a "regular" career going. Dabbled in other projects, but, always believed in the songs. Started thinking about recording the songs with instrumentation I had always loved - lap and pedal steel, fiddle, dobro, etc. August 2002, started recording Gravedigger's Delight.

Doug Haywood -- Doug's musical resume speaks for itself. Heck, the guy played bass and sang harmony on Jackson Browne's For Everyman and Late for the Sky. For the complete lowdown on Doug and his current gig, go to www.doughaywood.com As for Doug's role on this CD, it's far reaching. Doug's experience reduced mistakes, increased efficiency and improved the overall quality of this project. He knows good music and who the great musicians are in the Colorado music community.

Doug Rutherford -- Doug's a friend from Orange County, Calif. While his musical tastes vary widely, Doug's main passion in playing music stems from Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Doug brings an improvisational feel to everything he plays -- and I appreciate him "reigning" things in a bit for this project. Currently, Doug plays in a very cool little band in Boulder called Riff Raff.

Donna Debreceni -- From a creative musical standpoint, Donna really set the tone and quality standard on this record. Pure and simple, she's one of the best piano players out there. She came in, and in one session, banged out six songs that really set the Americana Rock tone for the CD. Listen carefully - truly amazing piano performances.

Dr. Daniel Jones -- Daniel plays pedal steel and Dobro with great taste and style. A professor of music at the University of Colorado, Daniel is one of the finest pedal steel players in the world. He's versatile too -- he didn't even flinch when he was asked to play fuzz-distorted pedal steel on Hampton's Revenge. In addition to teaching music, Daniel plays in the Colorado band,

Sally Van Meter -- Sally is a world-class Dobro and lap steel player -- recognized globally for her work. Sally's passion for the instruments she plays is inspiring. In addition to fine and tasty Dobro and Wassenborn playing, Sally rocks hard on lap steel -- as evidenced on Starting Again. For more info on Sally, check out her site at www.sallyvanmeter.com

Gordon Burt - a truly amazing fiddle player, Gordon's playing adds spark and character to this recording. Years ago, he actually sat in with Doug Rutherford and I when we played together in Crescent Moon. He popped in, blew our mind and slipped away. What a treat to hook-up after almost 10 years!

Joe Romer -- Joe's a rock of a drummer and he worked perfectly on this record. A true mountain man and salt-of-the earth guy, Joe banged out all 11 songs with in a one-day session. Nothing fancy or overplayed -- just great drumming by a great guy.

Jennifer White -- This CD is Jennifer's first studio effort. Doug Haywood heard Jennifer singing up in Lyons, Colo. and suggested we use her for backup vocals.

Josh Brookstein - Josh is a regular member of the Riff Raff band in Boulder. Over the years, we have played many-a-gig together and built a nice musical chemistry. A fine guitar and bass player himself, Josh provides great harmony vocals that really capture and complement the essence of the songs he sings (especially Hampton's Revenge).