Hickory Strings blends elements of jazz, bluegrass, classical, world, and folk music into a unique brand of modern American chamber music. The resulting compositions and improvisations are unclassifiable. The group’s versatility has led to performances in concert halls, bars, coffee shops, bluegrass festivals, schools, libraries, and is one of the few groups truly suitable for nearly any venue.
The group was founded in 2006 by mandolinist/guitarist/composer Geoff Brown in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Mark Whitaker. Together they recorded the debut album, Geoff Brown and Hickory Strings. The record featured an eclectic set of originals and some traditional celtic tunes arranged for mandolin, banjo, upright bass, and guitar.
While performing music from that recording, the Hickory Strings duo encountered bassist Gian Pangaro during a shared concert with his group, Three Tall Pines. Gian joined the group shortly after and the chemistry of the trio was immediately apparent. Since then, Gian has been actively performing concerts with Hickory Strings throughout New England and adds a third dimension to the music, bringing his strong background in bluegrass, jazz, and classical music. In 2008, the trio recorded the album Patches and performed the music from that recording extensively over the next few years.
During the years following the Patches recording, mandolinist and bandleader Geoff Brown pursued a Masters Degree in the classical conservatory, Longy School of Music. The experience inspired a challenging project: an album of duets for mandolin and banjo. The album Duo was recorded by expert engineer Garrett Sawyer and brilliant mastering engineer Jeff Lipton. The 2011 release received fantastic reviews and is considered by many to be a unique contribution to the mandolin/banjo repertoire.
The group is now more active than ever, with a calendar packed with show dates throughout New England and beyond. With a residency at Boston’s famed Cantab Lounge bluegrass night, the group has become a hometown favorite and is quickly drawing attention from fans far beyond the boundaries of Boston with music that pushes the boundaries of bluegrass.
GEOFF BROWN is an eclectic musician, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, author, and composer. Gaining most of his training on mandolin and guitar, he has played in many groups ranging from funk and rock to bluegrass, Celtic, klezmer, folk, jazz, and classical. With a broad musical background, he has carved a unique place for himself as an independent artist. He has released nine independent records and has performed extensively throughout New England. He holds a Performance Certificate from the Guitar Institute of Technology (Hollywood, CA), a B.A. in Music from Tufts University (Medford, MA), where he graduated summa cum laude, and a M.M. from Longy School of Music (Cambridge, MA), where he graduated with distinction. Geoff is also the author of instructional books for mandolin and guitar, as well as a musical fairytale for children. He teaches mandolin at Tufts University and is part of the faculty at Longy School of Music and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. He currently resides in the Boston area where he teaches, composes, performs, and records with his group Hickory Strings. For more about Geoff, including information about private lessons, books, and recordings, visit his website – www.GeoffBrownMusic.com
MARK WHITAKER is a Boston-based banjoist who has performed extensively throughout New England. Originally from Maryland, Mark developed his musical foundation through studying 10 years of classical piano. While earning his B.A. in Philosophy at Earlham College in Richmond, IN, Mark expanded his musical interests and began studying banjo. Mark has spent the last 10 years specializing in banjo and has developed a unique approach which incorporates his strong foundation on piano. In 2011, he was the winner of the Tony Trischka Deering Banjo Contest. Mark holds a Specialist Certificate in Music Theory from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and currently resides in Jamaica Plain.
GIAN PANGARO was born, raised, and schooled in Boston. He came to music relatively late, beginning guitar at age 12. For the past 14 years, he has concentrated on Double Bass as his main instrument, while still playing the guitar and dobro as side interests. Since picking up the bass, he has studied with several of Boston’s best teachers and appeared in many ensembles in Boston and San Francisco. Gian earned a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University where he graduated cum laude and a M.S. from MIT where he served as principle bassist for the MIT symphony orchestra. While pursuing his degrees, he was was a member of the Bach Society Orchestra, the Harvard Jazz Band, and the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra. Gian currently holds down the low end for Hickory Strings and Three Tall Pines, a local americana and bluegrass band. Gian can be heard on the Patches record.