Dan Tyminski – Back to Bluegrass

Whether you listen to bluegrass or not, Dan Tyminski has one of the most recognizable voices in the music industry. Tyminski has touched nearly every corner of the music industry, but he’s best known for playing alongside Alison Krauss in her band Union Station. Having received 14 Grammy Awards, one CMA award, and 11 IBMA awards, his talent is unmatched. On April 10, Dan Tyminski will perform two shows at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

 

Tickets are $49.50 and can be purchased here. Social distancing and masks will be required throughout the performance. Limited seating in the Woodward Theatre means tickets are selling fast – grab yours now.

 

Tyminski says the upcoming performances will include music from a variety of past and current projects but will be straight-up classic bluegrass. Tyminski will be joined by Adam Steffey, Jason Davis, Maddie Denton, and Grace Davis, “bass-player extraordinaire”. Tyminski is former bandmates with Adam Steffey, playing for Alison Krauss and Union Station. “When I first heard him he became my favorite,” says Tyminski, “he just has a sense of tone and timing that is just unequaled.”  Maddie Denton is the 2016 Grand Master Fiddle Champion and holds the title of state champion in 14 states. According to Tyminski, above all else, the most important part of each individual band member is that they play to the larger sound. Each musician is showing off what they can do together, not their talent as individuals. “They’re the best of the best…I couldn’t want anyone better,” says Tyminski.

 

Tyminski has experimented in every genre and musical outlet including classic southern bluegrass, what some call “Tyminski mashgrass”, and even Hollywood cinema and electronic dance music. His most iconic works include his role as the singing voice for George Clooney in the movie “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou”, and his collaboration with EDM artist Aviicii titled “Hey Brother” which has been streamed over 1 billion times. “Throughout my career there’s always been a different type of music to play, but my heart continues to go back to bluegrass. It’s what I cut my teeth on, it’s what I grew up on,” says Tyminski. “this is a band that shines at what we’ll call ‘my kind’ of bluegrass.”

 

Tyminski says Covid-19 impacted his plans for the new year and the typical recording process. “The original plan was to come out with a bang this year,” says Tyminski, “but there is so much new music getting ready to come out, I promise.” While his sound has strayed in the past, Tyminski says traditional bluegrass fans are going to be happy with the projects he’s worked on during quarantine. Like most people, musicians have had to get creative during the pandemic. Bands sometimes talk about “synergy” while recording, or the effect that happens when they all react to each other in a live setting. Due to social distancing, it became increasingly hard to find that synergy. “If you don’t have the opportunity to play in the studio with everybody recording at the same time, its paramount that you get together so that you can hear where the energy is,” says Tyminski, “get some ideas so that If you have to record separately, you have an idea of how.” This is the key to achieving the same quality of sound, according to the Grammy Award winner.

 

Owensboro has claimed the title as the “Bluegrass Capital of the World” and Dan Tyminski says he wouldn’t have it any other way. Tyminski has spent some time in the city between performing at ROMP with Allison Krauss and filming the PBS special Bluegrass Now! at the BMHF. He was set to perform at ROMP 2020 before the festival was cancelled due to Covid-19. “I can’t think of anyone in any situation that doesn’t have a place they call home,” says Tyminski, “I don’t know how to be separated from a place you have to call home.” Owensboro, just a stone-throw away from the birthplace of Bill Monroe, is home to the only cultural center in the world dedicated solely to bluegrass. “I don’t know of anyone who plays the music or is into the music that doesn’t immediately think of Owensboro,” says Tyminski, “you feel the spirit of bluegrass when you go there.”

 

Click here to watch the full interview – find out who Dan Tyminski’s hero is and get a peek at what his upcoming shows at the BMHF are all about.