Jeff Picker Band

First, there's Jeff Picker, a bassist, composer, electric bass guitarist, and band leader. From Nashville, Jeff was a member of Kentucky Thunder, Ricky Skaggs’ band for five years. Now he tours with Nickle Creek, composes, and is a highly sought-after bassist for shows and studio recordings. When he has time, he performs as a member of the house band at the Grand Ole Opry, so the list of legends he has accompanied is long and awe-inspiring.

Jeff’s family lived in Dallas, Texas when he was young and then later moved to Portland, Oregon. So Jeff was first immersed in the country music of the '90s and then presented with an opportunity to dive into jazz and improvisation. A move to college in New York led to a deeper study of jazz, and the vibrant music scene there let him develop his unique style, blending jazz improvisation with country and bluegrass riffs and tones. The result is a talented composer and a bass player who is first on the list when a band or producer wants an accomplished musician who bends the genre "rules."

For the Jeff Picker Band, Jeff plays with other young, diverse, and talented musicians to form a trio (or quartet) as unique as their individual skills and experiences.  Each has an impressive music resume performing in multiple genres, including classical, jazz, country, and bluegrass. For the Gamble Rogers concert, Frank Rische will play guitar and vocals, and Avery Merritt will play fiddle. Jeff Picker, of course, plays upright bass.

Guitarist, Frank Rische tours with several other acts, including Jiom Lauderdale and the Old Time Country Road Show, a duo with his sister, Lillie Mae.

Avery Merritt, from Boston, has played with Sierra Hull and with Dailey and Vincent. He is a bluegrass fiddler who plays multiple styles and likes pushing the boundaries of modern acoustic fiddle playing.

The Jeff Picker Band takes music, particularly bluegrass, country, and Americana in a whole new direction hosting a fantastic musical space for audiences.

NOTE: We can find no YouTube recording of The Jeff Picker Band. The video is from Jeff’s album, With the Bass in Mind. Musicians on that album are Jake Stargel on guitar, Mike Barnett on fiddle, Dominick Leslie on mandolin, and Cory Walker on banjo.