The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia has played a tremendous role in the development of traditional string music. During the formative years of bluegrass music, pioneers of this art form were routinely the entertainment of choice wherever people gathered for community functions. Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, and Reno and Smiley all were familiar with the enthusiastic venues of this region of Virginia.

The East Coast Bluegrass Band has its roots firmly planted in the fertile Virginia musical tradtions. The band formed in the early summer of 1985 after entereing a contest. That contest required that the band register with a name and "East Coast Bluegrass Band" was hastily chosen. After winning the contest, it seemed counterproductive to change the name of the band, which continued to play together at local functions. 1986 brought good fortune to the group as they one the Virginia Folk Music Society State Bluegrass Band Championship.

The band paid its dues at lawn parties and bars in and around the Harrisonburg, VA area and released four self-produced albums. The members of the band began to try their hands at producing original material but remained true to the traditional sounds of the great bluegrass bands of the 1940s and '50s.

For the group's next recorded effort, they knew that it was time to move to the next level. They contracted Tim Austin of Doobie Shea Studios to produce and record the project. After several months of honing and refining their material, the band started recording in February of 1996. Later that spring, lightning struck and destroyed the studio. With all their sessions gone, the band faced a tremendous setback. Tim promised that he would have a studio up and running as soon as possible and they were one of the first bands to record in the beautiful new studio.

Four albums, nineteen years, many late nights, and hundreds of performances later, the East Coast Bluegrass Band has finely tuned (no pun intended) their skills and released their first nationally distributed recording project, Life's Mysteries on Copper Creek Records.

Darin Lawrence - rhythm and lead guitar; lead, tenor and baritone vocals:
Darin grew up around traditional country music; his father was an accomplished and celebrated regional bass and guitar player who performed with the group the Valley Playboys in the early 1940s. He grew to love his fathers "string music" and gained a special affinity for the sound of bluegrass. Darin joined the East Coast Bluegrass Band on acoustic bass one month after their first performance and was recruited to sing lead and tenor. He moved over to rhythm guitar when Bill Ledbetter joined the group; at this time they began to concentrate on their vocals. He played mandolin in the world-traveled Hill Country in conjunction with James Madison University's folk dance group, Reel Virginia. He has toured as a member of the James King Band, the elusive and mysterious Blinky Moon Boys, and the extremely elusive Bill Evans Group. He also spent much of his adult life as master luthier with Stelling Banjo Works, Ltd. In 2000, Darin took over the role of Mandolin player for the East Coast Bluegrass Band and his mandolin style is always entertaining. Darin is always willing to grab some instrument and render an obscure Stanley Brothers' tune; he provides many tunes for the band. When not playing music, Darin is the Technical Manager of an award winning nationally distributed woodworking catalog, McFeely's Square Drive Screws in Lynchburg, VA.

Bill Ledbetter - bass and sound technician:
Bill began his bluegrass career as a spectator at a Blinky Moon extravaganza weekend. He had always enjoyed the music and had played a little guitar; he became intrigued with the mathematics of music theory. The very next day, armed with only a chord progression chart on a sheet of paper from the Friendship Inn of Loudon, Tennessee, he played his first song in a bluegrass jam session. He wound up being featured in a large front page picture in the Sweetwater Gazette. He knew he was hooked! He began to hang around the band whenever they played and would fill in when necessary. He soon became the band's sound man and was asked to join ECBB as the full-time bass player in 1995. He brings a full bottom sound to the band and is known for his ability to play on top of the beat, giving the band great drive. Bill is a partner in Roudabush and Gale and Associates Engineering and Surveying Firm.

Paul Muller - Guitar, Fiddle Vocals:
Born east of Richmond along the outer fortifications, Paul was the second youngest of 5 kids and all were trained in music. He played French horn, trumpet, baritone, trombone, and piano. Started learning guitar at the age of 5 years old. Paul hooked on bluegrass in grad school at VA Tech. He was a founding member and guitarist/vocalist for Virginia Rail and has recorded 2 albums with this popular Virginia band. Paul toured for 3 years (banjo/vocal) with Pinecastle artists "Southern Rail" and recorded "Wasting My Time" CD. He has placed well in nationally recognized contests and has played as a hired gun on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, dobro, bluegrass banjo and old-time banjo. Paul also brings his expertise in sound equipment to the band. Paul loves crafting tunes, arranging the harmonies, making new songs sound old, and old songs sound new. When not playing music, Paul is a licensed engineer by profession, and owns his own firm in Ashland, Virginia.

John Hamlett - banjo; baritone and bass vocals:
John was raised in Rich Patch, Virginia and anyone from a place with that name has to be a banjo player. He played drums in several rock bands after college decided to take up an instrument that was easier to carry. He's been playing banjo since 1981 and has played with several bands and recorded an instrumental album with our friend Greg Reed. John is a Master Luthier and has worked for Stelling Banjo Works since 1988. Although he describes himself as "not overly ambitious or particularly accomplished in one thing" he has a passion for instruments and does a wonderful job of banjo. John also adds baritone and bass to the band's vocal arrangements.

We hope you like our new CD, Life's Mysteries. To order one, you may either send email to any of the addresses on the main page or check out the homepage of our record label, Copper Creek. You may also send them email at [email protected].