“A masterclass in bluegrass” – Sean Sennett, The Australian

Hosted by the USQ Academic Division

Highly acclaimed Bluegrass band, The Company, has a passion for high-energy original and traditional acoustic music and for the past two years has become known as one of the best bluegrass outfits in Australia. The playing and singing is crisp, melodic and soulful with songs and stories from Brisbane and abroad. The show delivers fierce instrumental prowess, engaging on-stage camaraderie and a wry humour. The Company is regarded as festival favourites across Australia appearing at most of the major music festivals including Port Fairy, Woodford, The National Folk Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Queensland Music Festival and many more. Their music has featured on ABC local and national radio.

Members include Mick Patrick (vocals/mandolin/fiddle), National Folk Festival “Declan Affley” award winner who grew up in a family band playing bush dances in North Queensland; Jamie Clark (guitar/vocals), CMAA Bluegrass Flatpicking Champion in 2011 and described as “a cracking guitarist” byRolling Stone Magazine; George Jackson (fiddle/banjo/vocals), a seventh generation fiddler and 2012 Golden Fiddle Award for “Best Fiddler”; and Norwegian born Markus Karlsen (double bass/vocals), a highly sought-after session bassist in Australia.

Each member of the band contributes to the song / instrumental writing in The Company. With two albums already released, they weave a wealth of original material in with traditional tunes and more well-known bluegrass and gospel songs.

Trouble is the title of The Company’s latest album, released in 2014, following the critically acclaimed debut self-titled release in 2012. Trouble is a potent mix of driving banjo, sparkling guitar melody and sweet crooning songs but with a dark twist. Old folk magic, unsolved murders, matriarchal prostitutes and other sordid stories from Queensland’s dark history inspire the songwriting.

“There are enough incredible stories from Queensland’s past to inspire 10 albums worth of material,” says Jamie Clark. “Our music derives from the American tradition of bluegrass but our sound and storytelling is from Queensland.”

Recorded in Brisbane in April 2014 with Dave Neil and mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated fiddle guru Casey Driessen (USA), this latest offering features a song-heavy mix of acoustic music that straddles the traditional and the contemporary. Songs about love, death, friendship, struggle, stories from Brisbane and abroad.

A reception in the USQ Arts Gallery will follow the recital – refreshments will be served.

In Review:
“They have the song writing chops to go with the flying fingers!” – Noel Mengel, The Courier Mail
“The Company are right up there with the best.” – Tony Hillier, Rhythm magazine