King Wilkie
Encyclopedia
King Wilkie is an American music group formed in Charlottesville, Virginia
in 2002 by Reid Burgess and Ted Pitney. While their early sound was commonly filed under bluegrass
, the group has continually defied expectations, drawing from other influences, such as folk
and Americana music
. They have released three critically acclaimed albums.
After releasing a 2004 debut album on Rebel Records
, they were hailed by bluegrass purists as the music's great young hope. Their second album, Low Country Suite, released in 2007 on Rounder Records
was a stylistic departure produced by engineer Jim Scott, well known for his work with Rick Rubin
, Tom Petty
, and the Dixie Chicks
. Since 2008 Burgess has remained the one constant member.
King Wilkie has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Appearances on NPR
, The Grand Ole Opry, and Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble, combined with festival performances and radio airplay have fueled the band's popularity, eventually resulting in their album Low Country Suite climbing into the top 20 on the Billboard charts for Americana music.
On April 28, 2009, King Wilkie released King Wilkie Presents: The Wilkie Family Singers, an expansive concept album on the newly-minted Casa Nueva label. Consisting of songs written and recorded by the fictional Wilkie family, it is their most wide-ranging and ambitious project yet. The album features a core sound of rickety old-time American music, embroidered with Salvation Army brass, quirky melodies, and an almost cinematic sense of scope. It also features special guests Robyn Hitchcock
, David Bromberg
, Peter Rowan and others.
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
in 2002 by Reid Burgess and Ted Pitney. While their early sound was commonly filed under bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, the group has continually defied expectations, drawing from other influences, such as folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and Americana music
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
. They have released three critically acclaimed albums.
After releasing a 2004 debut album on Rebel Records
Rebel Records
In 1980, Freeland sold the label to David Freeman, the founder of County Records. Rebel currently has 140 titles in print from more than 35 different artists and groups. In 2008, the label released 8 new titles, including ones from Ralph Stanley and Larry Sparks.-Notable artists:...
, they were hailed by bluegrass purists as the music's great young hope. Their second album, Low Country Suite, released in 2007 on Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
was a stylistic departure produced by engineer Jim Scott, well known for his work with Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, and the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
. Since 2008 Burgess has remained the one constant member.
King Wilkie has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Appearances on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, The Grand Ole Opry, and Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble, combined with festival performances and radio airplay have fueled the band's popularity, eventually resulting in their album Low Country Suite climbing into the top 20 on the Billboard charts for Americana music.
On April 28, 2009, King Wilkie released King Wilkie Presents: The Wilkie Family Singers, an expansive concept album on the newly-minted Casa Nueva label. Consisting of songs written and recorded by the fictional Wilkie family, it is their most wide-ranging and ambitious project yet. The album features a core sound of rickety old-time American music, embroidered with Salvation Army brass, quirky melodies, and an almost cinematic sense of scope. It also features special guests Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, David Bromberg
David Bromberg
David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
, Peter Rowan and others.
History
- King Wilkie's 2004 debut Broke remained #1 on the Bluegrass album chart for several weeks that year.
- King Wilkie were named IBMA'sInternational Bluegrass Music AssociationThe International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a joint venture with...
Emerging Artist Of The Year in 2004.
- Made their debut on The Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman AuditoriumRyman AuditoriumThe Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry....
in 2005.
- On April 14, 2006 King Wilkie appeared with Ralph Stanley at The Town Hall in New York City.
- In 2006 King Wilkie released an EP Tierra del Fuego, recorded in Nashville.
- In 2007 King Wilkie released Low Country Suite, recorded in Los Angeles.
- On June 22, 2010 a project titled Wilkie Family Singers Live was released as a digital download.
External links
- kingwilkie.com (official site)
- kingwilkie.net (forum)