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Howard Burton - banjo & vocals
Howard started playing bluegrass banjo
in 1987. After playing in numerous jam sessions at bluegrass
festivals He answered an advertisement for bluegrass musicians in
his local news paper. From there, the East Coast Bluegrass Band was
formed, where he played for a few years, including a mini tour of
Holland. He has also played with the Anglian Bluegrass Boys (also
with Charlie) and guested with many bands including Arthur
Robinson's band and Phill Morleys band, Wet Paint.
In 1994 he took
time out to explore Bluegrass in the USA. During this visit he
forged special friendships in Galax Virginia, the home of the world
famous fiddlers convention, where he placed 7th (only 1st 10 places
are recorded out of around 250 players) in 1998.
Around this time he
became a regular member with Del Robinson and the Rocky Island Boys
until Del’s untimely death in 2002. It was this event that put him
in touch again with Gerry Williams, band leader of Deep River, who
he first met while attending the Wadhurst Bluegrass days. These were
days of tuition and workshops by respected British bluegrass singers
and musicians. He was proud to be asked back as a tutor himself for
the banjo at a later date. Gerry contacted him again in the summer
of 2003 and asked if he would be interested in playing banjo for
Deep River, where he played until the summer of 2009. He now
concentrates his musical endeavours with The Offchords.
His influences
include: J.D Crowe, The Bluegrass Album Band, Blue Highway, Don
Reno, Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Jim Mills, Rob Ikes and Scott
Vestal as well as many others.
Mark Jones -
Guitar
Mark Jones has been flat-picking
bluegrass guitar for over 20 years, and has appeared on BBC radio
and Anglia TV as a professional performer. As a long time admirer of
good fiddle tunes and an Edale guitar contest winner, Mark has
played at various festivals in the UK and USA in search of good
music and good times. He has played in a number of Cajun, Old time
and Bluegrass bands in the UK at the Didmarton Bluegrass Festival
and the Cambridge Folk Festival, to name but a few, and
across Europe before moving to the USA . In East Tennessee, he
worked as the sound engineer for Steve Kaufman's venue, The Palace
Theatre in Maryville for 3 years. As well as picking with Steve,
Mark played with a number of bands in East TN and Northern KY before
circumstances affected his returning to England, which the Off
Chords for one are quite pleased about!
He now plays with renowned, national
accordion treasure Tony Hall and banjoist Howard Burton in Norfolk.
Charlie Ogunremi
- Mandolin & vocals
Charlie first heard
bluegrass music from a guitar and banjo playing friend who wanted to
set up his own bluegrass band "The New Seeds of Grass". After
hearing Bluegrass music, Charlie really liked the sound and wanted
to join in the fun. The new band would be short of a mandolin
player so he volunteered to learn to play it, starting his long
association with the mandolin.
Charlie played with the "New Seeds of Grass" for a few years, later
reforming as "Chiltern Bluegrass" playing at venues around Bedford
and Northampton, and even on the stage at the original Edale
Bluegrass festival.
After a break from Bluegrass due to other commitments, John Pearman,
the original organiser of the East Anglian Bluegrass Festival, asked
him to play mandolin in his group "The East Anglian Bluegrass
Band". At that time Howard Burton was playing banjo for the band
and inspired Charlie to put more time into his mandolin playing.
While taking up the
role of mandolin and vocals for the Off Chords, Charlie also plays
for Phil Morley's bluegrass and barn dance band "Wetpaint", an
institution in British Bluegrass.
The sound and style
of Bill Monroe has heavily influenced Charlie's playing, although
these days he enjoys playing with a more modern, open bluegrass
sound. He plays a 1982 Vanden F5 mandolin.
Richard H Eyres -
Bass & vocals
Richard has been
composing and playing many styles of music for most of his life,
from playing euphonium in a brass band to Bluegrass, where he is a
multi – instrumentalist. He is also a master craftsmen, having
worked for the acclaimed brass instrument makers, Boosey & Hawks.
Richard brings a
wealth of experience to the Off Chords, having played with The East
coast Bluegrass band, Del Robinson and the Rocky Mountain Boys, and
The Morris Boys. Richards bass playing is both solid and true and a
great asset to The Off Chords.
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