Over the last seven years, High Lonesome Wednesdays at The Silver Dollar Room has become one of the most successful weekly shows on the Toronto music scene and a destination for regulars and international visitors alike. High Lonesome Wednesdays has become the gathering place for both veterans of the scene, and the new generation that has taken bluegrass into the 21st century.  When it comes to picking and singing bluegrass, it doesn’t get any better than this!

Chris Coole:  Chris Coole was first attracted to the sounds of old-time and bluegrass music as a teenager growing up in Toronto, Ontario. At seventeen years old, he got his first banjo, and soon discovered the clawhammer style. Before long his love of playing traditional country music left little time for anything else and as a result led him to pursue a career as a full time musician, a road that he has happily traveled ever since. 

Over the years Chris has split his time between playing bluegrass and old-time music and has allowed each to inspire the other to the point where it is now difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. This may be attributed to a. strong belief that country music is country music, be it Tommy Jarrell, Bill Monroe or George Jones. “I’ve always believed that the essence of music is in the individual, not in the category or style of music they play”. 

Chris’ unique style of clawhammer banjo playing began to reach a wider audience with the release of his first C.D.- “Five Strings Attached With No Backing” in 1997 and later, “Five Strings Attached, Vol. 2” in 2000. Both albums were collaborations with long time musical partner, and fellow Torontonian, Arnie Naiman. The combination of sparse, well played arrangements of traditional tunes, as well as creative originals struck a chord with clawhammer banjo fans worldwide. In the words of one reviewer, ”Chris Coole plays some of the cleanest, most melodically fluid and inspiring clawhammer one could hear.” (The Banjo Newsletter, 2003). Apart from his own recordings he can also be heard as a sideman on over thirty CDs by Canadian artists such as Sylvia Tyson, Ron Hynes, Jenny Whitely and April Verch.

   Chris divides his time between playing guitar and singing in two bluegrass bands – Crazy Strings, The Foggy Hogtown Boys. He also performs Southern old-time music in a duo with fiddler, Erynn Marshall.

Andrew’s first professional endeavors came with the formation of Crazy Strings. The band has had several incarnations, and their show features jam-oriented performances from a large core of veteran players and frequent and numerous guests. The music ranges from old-time to country to bluegrass, and the crowd loves it. 

After getting Crazy Strings off the ground, Andrew co-founded an instrumental project with fellow Crazy Stringer Joey Wright, that resulted in a band and a CD, both entitled “Big Gravel.”  In the “new acoustic” style, the Big Gravel ensemble consisted of mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and bass and featured all original compositions by the members.

Next on Andrew’s plate was the formation of a traditional, five-piece bluegrass band, The Foggy Hogtown Boys. A tight, well-oiled unit, The Foggy Hogtown Boys deliver sweet harmonies and a hard-driving sound in the high lonesome tradition every Saturday afternoon at the Dominion Tavern in Toronto. They recently recorded a live album, featuring traditional favorites, and are now working a studio project, which will contain original compositions.

Never one to sit still for long, Andrew then co-founded another instrumental group, The Creaking Tree String Quartet (CTSQ). Similar in concept to Big Gravel (and with the same instruments), CTSQ expands the genre in new and creative ways, raising the bar for acoustic instrumental music. All of the band members have formal training in jazz or classical or both, and while their compositions are rooted in the traditional, the result is a unique blend of styles that sounds at once familiar and excitingly fresh. With their debut self-titled album receiving a Juno Nomination for best Roots album in 2004, CTSQ has toured across the continent, playing Jazz, Folk, Bluegrass and Classical Festivals alike. They have recently released a new album “Side Two”, which expands on their repertoire of all original instrumentals. 

Finally, Andrew recently recorded a duo album with guitar prodigy Marc Roy (also a part-time Crazy String). Entitled “Likewise,” the CD is a lovely collection of songs (mostly original) that allows each player to experiment and play off one another as only a duo can.   He’s also now at work on his first solo project.

As Crazy Strings banjo player, Chris’ solid right hand provides the driving stream of eighth notes on top of the rock steady rhythms of the band.  Whether it is a bluesy romp, a plaintive ballad or a pulverising breakdown, Chris’ banjo will be right where it is needed.

Chris is a first call session musician who, in addition to countless movie, television, radio and commercial soundtracks, has performed on more than 50 recordings as a side man or featured artist.  As a member of Heartbreak Hill, Chris’ creative and thoughtful playing helped propel bluegrass outfit to great heights on the Canadian music scene.  In 1998, Heartbreak Hill was the first bluegrass band to ever receive a JUNO nomination. 

A passionate and generous instructor with more than 20 years of teaching experience, Chris teaches private lessons as well as banjo workshops.  At the 2004 British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, Chris conceived, organized and conducted the inaugural intermediate bluegrass jam classes.  (Picture a guy in overall’s,  pointing a baton and conducting 15 mandolins, 12, banjos, and 16 fiddles.)   His commitment to sharing the joy of music has been the driving force behind his several written articles on musicianship.  He has also penned liner notes and biographies for several musicians.
The history of bluegrass is another of Chris’ favourite subjects.  He has been a frequent guest on bluegrass radio and was prominently featured in a documentary on bluegrass titled, I’ll Fly Away Home, directed and produced by Paul Eichgrun. 

Over the years, Chris has performed at many of the major folk music festivals across Canada including: Blue Skies Music Festival,  Harbourfront Centre, Hillside Festival, Home County Folk Festival, Mariposa Festival, Mariposa in Parkdale, Northern Lights Festival Boreal, Stewart Park Festival, Three Fires Music Festival, CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival, Eaglewood Folk Festival, Festival of Friends, Peterborough Folk Festival, Trout Forest Music Festival, Summerfolk, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Ness Creek Music Festival, Regina Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, World Next Door Festival, Frostbite Music Festival, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Festival By the Sea, Stan Rogers Folk Music Festival, The Tottenham Bluegrass Festival, The Valley Bluegrass Festival, The River Valley Bluegrass Jamboree, The Valley Bluegrass Festival, Great North Bluegrass Festival

Lured by the promise of a Mecca of young acoustic musicians with a similar fascination for bluegrass and traditional music, John packed up and moved to the city of Toronto in early 2001.   His knowledge of music and ability on the fiddle were in high demand, and he quickly found himself at the forefront of a strong roots music movement, jamming and performing with many like-minded musicians.

John is currently an active member of five Toronto-based groups - Crazy Strings, Skraeling (an east-coast folk rock outfit), the Creaking Tree String Quartet (an original, roots fusion group), the Foggy Hogtown Boys (another bluegrass band) and Lickin' Good Fried (an old-time country stringband).   John feels blessed by the opportunity to perform, write music and record albums with all of these groups; comprising so many fine musicians and people.  He's on the scene to stay, and you can catch him live on most nights, tearing it up at a variety of venues with the bands he loves.

Crazy Strings also features Max Heiniman acoustic bass, Marc Roy acoustic guitar