Karen Collins & The Backroads Band - The Band

Karen Collins - Vocals, rhythm guitar & fiddle. Karen is a coal miner's daughter from Southwest Virginia. She grew up listening to country music, and the influence of Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams and other country greats is evident in the early country sound of her original songs. Karen is fiddler and vocalist with the award winning Cajun band, Squeeze Bayou. She also plays and sings in the popular acoustic country quartet, The Blue Moon Cowgirls.
Ira Gitlin - Lead guitar, harmony vocals. Ira's guitar playing gets its down-to-earth drive from his long involvement in bluegrass, and its sophisticated rhythms and harmonies from his interest in western swing and jazz. A WAMMIE award winning multi-instrumentalist and former National Bluegrass Banjo Champion, Ira is in demand as a sideman and music instructor. In addition to the Backroads Band, you may find Ira playing with the Oklahoma Twisters and The Blue Moon Cowgirls.
Geff King - Bass, vocals. Geff King is a Maryland native now living in Greenbelt. A former standup bassist who went "electrified" in 1980, Geff has played with such bands as Windy Ridge, Mike Hays, New Early Sunrise Band, The Slim Jims, and Honky Tonk Confidential (with whom he recorded three albums, including one WAMA Album of the Year.) Geff is also an accomplished songwriter in his own right, and he brings several new original songs to the Backroads Band which he says "can't be done quite as well anywhere else."
Paul Hofmaster - Drums. Paul brings many years of country drumming experience to the band. He played with Geff in The New Early Sunrise Band.
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© 2012 Karen Collins & The Backroads Band