MUSIC
BY & BY STRING BAND
By & By String Band combines stripped down acoustics with rich harmonies in their interpretation of Americana, Appalachian old-time country, gospel and blues — the roots of which inspire the creation of their original songs. The band grew out of the New Orleans street music scene in the fall of 2008. They first came together when invited to play the Abita Springs Opry, a musical institution dedicated to the presentation and preservation of Louisiana roots music. They have been featured on New Orleans All The Way Live, a program of New Orleans Community Radio Station, WWOZ, and invited to play festivals in Spain, Italy and Ireland. Their first album, Little Darling Pal of Mine: Songs of the Carter Family, is a collection of songs inspired by original Carter Family recordings. It was recorded in the winter and released in the spring 2010 and was nominated by OffBeat Magazine’s Best of the Beat Award for Best Country/Folk Album. By & By String Band, likewise, was honored as being nominated for Best Country/Folk Band.
ORIGINAL MUSIC
My solo work is a departure from the old-time/country sound of By and By String Band, drawing from country, blues and soul, creating a timeless but unique sound. I perform both solo and with a four-piece band featuring drums, bass and lead guitar.
MY GRAVEYARD JAW
I played banjo with My Graveyard Jaw for several years, an all original haunting country, americana, band known for their fusion of haunting gypsy blues, folk , and country music. My Graveyard Jaw recently signed to Farmaggedon Records.
"McCrae’s voice — accentless, honeyed, clear and low, and reminiscent of Gillian Welch — is the central pole around which the band’s musical ribbons twine. Douglas’ fiddle and Good’s guitar weave in and out amid soft harmonies, exuding a warmth and strength of tone that seems to echo from deep and far away in both time and distance... the sound remains full and spare, welcoming and lonesome at the same time, and gorgeously authentic to the style’s original hardscrabble sincerity.”
Alison Fensterstock - The Times-Picayune
"She sings beautifully throughout, and the band’s harmonies and occasional call-and-response vocals emphasize and echo her easy, warm tone...Rhythmically and melodically, the band leads us through the compositions in a way that opens up new ideas in some of the oldest songs we know."
Jacob Leland - OffBeat Magazine
"In a town known for the rumble of rhythm and the roar of young jazz lions, the By & By String Band offers a deep-down Americana alternative. This quintet includes multi-instrumentalist Kiyoko McCrae who shares lead vocals with guitarist Gregory Good, bringing together strands of bluegrass, country gospel and timeless folk ballads, reminding us all that there’s as much heart and soul in the company of banjos and fiddles as there is in a room full of blazing horns. Sometimes (and I would argue more often than not) a soft, sweet melody is just what you need.”
George Ingmire, Programmer/Producer - WWOZ