Original West Coast Bluegrass
The word is getting around about 49 Special. The San Francisco-based bluegrass quartet surprised a lot of folks when they won the prestigious Rockygrass band competition in July of 2009. But it wasn’t a surprise to their legions of followers in the Bay Area who enthusiastically support this band of young, energetic, and remarkably talented musicians. These fans figure it’s about time to let the rest of the world in on the secret.
Danny Booth, Jim Chayka, Alisa Rose, and Tyson Alteri have put together a sound that combines tradition with freshness, and honors the first generation masters while clearly making a statement that they’ve got something to bring to the genre themselves. All the basic ingredients of good bluegrass are there – driving rhythm, soaring fiddling, hot picking, sweet, tight harmonies, and nimble choreography around the single mic. But what really puts them over with a crowd is the passion and excitement they express through their music. It’s spontaneous, it’s intense, it’s simply joyful.
So the news is out and spreading beyond the Bay Area. 49 Special has got something to say and they say it with bluegrass. Keep your eyes and ears open and see what the fuss is all about.
Tyson Alteri
Guitar, lead and harmony vocals
Tyson Alteri, originally from upstate New York, grew up surrounded by many kinds of music.
Tyson's extended family listened to, and played everything from delta blues to big band
swing; his Grandma Bea was an opera singer at Julliard who presented the national anthem
at many a ball game (including for the Yankees.) The music bug bit Tyson while he was
rummaging through a closet-full of records at his grandparents house, and a guitar literally
fell into his lap. He first fell in love with bluegrass in Alaska when he met climbers that liked
to play bluegrass. The combination of music and worldly adventure has fueled a fire of musical
creativity in Tyson likenable to a small sun. His keen musical interests have led him to Spain to
study Flamenco and to Cuba to learn Son Cubanos. Tyson now resides at various ports around
the San Francisco Bay, where he can be heard playing by moonlight on his 30’ sailboat
Dan Booth
Bass, lead and harmony vocals
Born and raised in Anchorage Alaska, Dan has been playing
bluegrass music for over 16 years. His earliest memories
playing bluegrass recall Ginger Boatwright and Doug Dillard
using Dan as their bassman for their music camp concerts.
Soon after he was playing with his dad in the seminal Alaskan
bluegrass band Rank Strangers, with Frank Solivan Jr on fiddle.
Dan has played and toured with Bearfoot (on mandolin), Ginger
Boatwright's band Sipsey, and performed with Laurie Lewis and
Dr Ralph Stanley (as a Clinch Mountain Boy sub for the great Jack
Cooke). Living in California a short while now, Dan is playing with
a number of bay area bluegrass bands including 49 Special, the
Kathy Kallick Band, and Homespun Rowdy. Playing upright bass
and singing lead and harmony vocals, Dan provides powerful
rhythm and a captivating voice to 49 Special.
Jim Chayka
Banjo, harmony vocals
Originally from upstate New York “Jim Chayka is the best banjo
player you never heard of – but that’s starting to change.” (California
Bluegrass Assoc. Newsletter, Jan 2009). Jim is regarded as a driving,
creative, and versatile player firmly rooted in the tradition of Earl Scruggs
and JD Crowe, but also well-versed in the fingerboard explorations of
contemporary banjo. Although relatively new to the bluegrass scene,
he has risen quickly among the ranks of formidable players in the West.
Jim’s additional skills as a songwriter and composer helped 49 Special win
the prestigious 2009 RockyGrass Band Competition, which featured two of
his original songs. Jim can also be heard playing with San Francisco acoustic
group The Folkslayers, and electric country band The Deuces. Jim teaches
music lessons privately and through the 5th String Music store in Berkeley,
and also works as a geologist throughout the Bay Area.
For more info about all of Jim’s musical pursuits, visit www.jimchayka.com.
Alisa Rose
Fiddle, harmony vocals
Alisa Rose, grew up in Wisconsin where she started violin at age three, and won her first fiddle
contest at age five. Alisa is also a member of the Picasso Quartet, the Real Vocal String Quartet,
Homespun Rowdy, and A.J. Roach and the Strange Pilgrims. Alisa performed recently at the
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass,Strawberry Music Festival, Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht,
Netherlands, and in Carnegie Hall. She has also recorded and/or performed with Mars Arizona,
Matt Bauer, Rachel Ries, Nels Andrews, Anais Mitchell, ALO, Train, Josh Ritter, and Bauhaus.
Alisa received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chamber Music from the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music,where she studied with Camilla Wicks and Bettina Mussumeli. In addition
to teaching privately, Alisa teaches fiddle at the SF Friend's School and runs a San Francisco
Conservatory of Music outreach program for young disadvantaged violinists.