David Peterson and 1946
Hardcore Bluegrass
Every so often a new day dawns...
In 1946, Bill Monroe (along with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs) had all the right ingredients come together for the first classic recordings for Columbia, and Bluegrass music was formed. This new music captured the imagination of a whole new generation of fans and musicians and changed forever the face of American music.
Over the past three quarters of a century Bluegrass has changed and evolved, but no group of musicians has recaptured the original essence of the founding group of Mr. Monroe's quite like this band.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, David Peterson & 1946 has drawn upon the style and content, recaptured the primal excitement and energy, and attracted the same kind of popular interest as that of the first Bluegrass group. Listen closely and you will hear strains of Bill Monroe, Chubby Wise, Cedric Rainwater, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. You'll also hear traces of other early Bluegrass and seminal country music pioneers interspersed among the varied tunes that 1946 plays. Driving instrumentals, solemn Gospel quartets, heartfelt trios and old-style duets. "Tears in your eyes" vocal solos, blazing original tunes, and a "treat for the eyes" stage appearance are what David Peterson & 1946 are all about.
You must hear this band. You must see this band. You must experience this band, and you must experience David Peterson & 1946.
In January of 1999, David Peterson first collaborated with some of Nashville's heavy hitters as an in-town, fun gig and called it 1946. He has since developed the concept into one of the premier bands in Bluegrass. David Peterson is one fine singer. From old-style Appalachian story songs to rip-roaring, loud and proud yodeling solos, Dave has it all. You'll want to tap your feet and clap your hands one minute and cry for sorrow the next. The range of emotion this vocalist can impart is absolutely amazing. Dave is a virtual walking encyclopedia of tunes from the forties and fifties and actually spends his spare time memorizing old song catalogs and going throughlibrary archives searching for that perfect song to round out his repertoire. If you add his solid guiotar playing and bouncy stage antics to the mix, you come out with nearly perfect entertainment.
“This recording is the best thing to happen to Bluegrass in a long, long time - ” - Jimmy Martin regarding David Peterson & 1946 debut album.
— Banjo News Letter
“ …When I first encountered David Peterson and 1946, I had skeptically gone to a live performance at the Station Inn, on a friend's advice I should hear… and see them. The ‘see’ intrigued me, as I find it boring when a group of any pickers stand around in ‘street clothes’ and just play music looking at their instrument necks or the floor, even if they are hot notes. A while after 1946 hit the stage, I thought: finally!… a hot music show I enjoy watching. Their great picking and singing was a welcome surprise, but I was equally impressed with the dedication to performance that has long been overlooked by most I have seen over the years: an obvious love of the music and giving the audience some laughs and a good time while playing it…” - John McEuen - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
“David Peterson & 1946 return to bluegrass roots with a vengeance. It's great to see them win over new listeners with the all-out intensity of the music's first era. Die-hard audiences love them even more. This is not just another band doing overplayed standards. They dig deep into the classic songbag, pick with precision, teamwork, and sing with a force and control that takes you back to when bluegrass was hillbilly and proud of it.” - Robert Cogswell Ph.D., Former Folklife Program Director, Tennessee Arts Commission
“This CD is hard driving Bluegrass the way it should be done. Dave's vocal ability is unsurpassed. The harmony and the music are crisp, clean and pure. It just doesn't get any better than this!” Paul Williams, Former Sunny Mountain Boy, Legendary Bluegrass singer and song writer
“Cup of Loneliness is Grammy material... ” - The Bluegrass Standard.
“If you've ever listened to classic bluegrass from yesteryear and wondered why no one has done these songs in so long, the answer is simple. Few, if any, have been able to do them justice. David Peterson & 1946 is a band that is playing and singing quality tradional bluegrass like the masters intended. They bring the much loved sounds of the past right into the present with their own refreshing signature... ” - Stuart Duncan