Big Fat Gap bios

Big Fat Gap
Bios

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Big Fat Gap is a back porch bluegrass band that has no plans to take Nashville by storm. Some of them even have day jobs. They just like to pick, they like each other, and it shows. Their shows are known to be excellent for those who enjoy sweet three part harmonies, smoking solos, and captivating stage dynamics. Their fun performances bring loyal fans back for more. They got their name from one of the few remaining stands of old growth virgin forest in western North Carolina located in the Big Fat Gap in Graham County near the Tennessee border. They are Miles Andrews on lead vocals and Bass, Rick Hauchman on mandolin & vocals, Andy Thorn on banjo, Bobby Britt on fiddle and Jamie Griggs on Guitar.

You can catch Big Fat Gap playing in Chapel Hill and Carrboro at the Cat’s Cradle, the Cave, Café La Rez @ La Residence, the Speakeasy @ Tyler’s Taproom, Goldie's, the Carolina Inn Fridays on the Front Porch, in Bynum at the Bynum General Store, in Raleigh at the Pour House, and the Town Pump in Black Mountain, NC. Big Fat Gap also appeared at the 2003 & 2004 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC and the 2004 Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival in upstate NY.

Over the past three years the Big Fat Gap has welcomed the increasing support of many fans, musicians, friends, and family in North Carolina, Colorado, and all along the East Coast. We have enjoyed many guest musical appearances by friends including mandolin legend Tony Williamson from Siler City, NC, Chatham County Line and Kickin' Grass from Raleigh, NC, the Steep Canyon Rangers from Asheville, NC, and musical virtuoso Rex McGee. We hope you come catch one of our shows.

Miles Andrews is a native son of Carrboro, NC. Miles has been singing and creating music all his life. If you spend time with Miles you'll get an education on local North Carolina history. Miles incorporates his local family heritage into his original compositions about his hometown. His soulful expression of traditional songs and original compositions comprise the heart and soul of the band. Miles is a great performer and always keeps things fun and on the right track.

Andy Thorn has been picking the banjo for over 10 years now. Not only has he wowed locals in North Carolina where the Earl Scruggs picking style originated, he has also dominated the field across the country by winning the 2003 Rocky Grass banjo contest in Lyons, CO. Andy’s true talent can be seen in his original instrumentals that test the limits of speed and precision. He recently graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, having studied music with a focus on jazz guitar. Nowadays Andy is tearing up the strings with Larry Keel's Natural Bridge.

Former Members

	Chris Heaney first became interested in playing mandolin as an undergrad at UNC Chapel Hill by listening to local mandolin maestro Tony Williamson in nearby Siler City, NC. While at UNC, Chris learned the music of mandolin players like Bill Monroe, Frank Wakefield and Hershel Sizemore, and soon started playing with close friend Miles Andrews. Over the years he has developed a strong and powerful rhythmic mandolin style following in the tradition of the father of bluegrass. Chris has worked hard to hone his skills on the mandolin as well as in school where he has completed his Masters degree in environmental sciences and engineering and began pursuing his doctorate at the UNC School of Public Health in fall 2004.
	Hailing from Mt. Airy, NC, banjo virtuoso Ryan Cavanaugh utilizes a unique 3 finger roll on an individual string. His articulation and versatility on the banjo is a truly awe inspiring aural event to witness. Ryan's exploration of music has taken him beyond bluegrass through jazz improvisation, Indian, Celtic, classical and a variety of other styles. He won the MerleFest banjo championship in 2003 and Colorado's Rocky Grass in 2004, and has constantly dazzled crowds with his fusion bands Spacestation Integration and the Ryan Cavanaugh Trio. He's played with Leftover Salmon and has opened for Phil Lesh, Hank Williams Jr., Tony Trischka, Tony Furtado, the Larry Keel Experience, Acoustic Syndicate, The Jerry Garcia Band, and The Big Wu. He's also set to record on John McLaughlin's upcoming new album later this year. Ryan is currently giving banjo, guitar, mandolin and electric bass lessons in Chapel Hill (email here for more info).
	John Garris is a master musician on anything with strings. He grew up in Albemarle, NC playing traditional bluegrass banjo, fiddle and guitar but at an early age developed an ear for wild improvisation which now dominates his playing. John has performed professionally for over a decade with various groups including Magraw Gap and the Steep Canyon Rangers. In John’s fiddle playing you hear the old tones of bluegrass combined with his trademark flamboyant improvisational style that originates from an obsession with jazz and fusion greats like John McLaughlin and Shakti.
	Robert Mitchener went to his first fiddler’s convention in 1986 at the Beulah School in Low Gap, NC. In the years since, he has recorded with several string bands (Cool As Grits and The Blue Ridge Mountain Minstrels), played bass with Melissa Swingle in Trailer Bride, and toured Europe with folk singer Michael Hurley. He is a physical therapist working in Carrboro, NC. He also helps organize Chatham County’s Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival.
	Jon Stickley first entered the music scene in early 1987 when he joined the Yates Baptist Church children’s choir. He was 5 years old. “Growing up singing and playing in church helped me understand what music is all about,” Jon says when asked about his musical background. "Playing isn’t about yourself, it’s about making other people feel good, which is the only thing that really pays off for me.” In middle school Jon started playing drums in an indie band called Strunken White. While at Jordan High School, Jon met Andy Thorn (former BFG banjo player) through his little brother Jeff. They formed a bluegrass band called Crawdad PA. Andy began playing with the founding members of Big Fat Gap while at UNC and introduced them to Jon. He’s been playing with them ever since. “Playing in the Big Fat Gap is the most fun I’ve ever had. I think the audience can tell when we play shows that we are having the time of our lives,” says Jon. Recently he expanded his musical horizons by switching over to mandolin and joining the Biscuit Burners.
	Multi-instrumentalist Rex McGee was born to a highly musical family in Winston-Salem, NC. He's toured with New Grass Revival's John Cowan & Pat Flynn, and jammed alongside the Larry Keel Experience with Tony Rice and Vassar Clements. He's appeared at the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Longford, Ireland. Rex also currently maintains a private instruction studio (email here for more info).
	Bobby Britt is quite simply an amazing fiddle player. Originally from Chapel Hill, NC, his wide range of influences led him through the indie rock band Westfalia before moving to Colorado to join bluegrass traditionalists Open Road. Bobby also joined Yonder Mountain String Band onstage in 2003 at a show in Bellvue, CO. Bobby can now be seen playing with Woodwork Roadshow.
	Rick Hauchman was Big Fat Gap's original co-lead singer alongside Miles.
	Joe Troop was Big Fat Gap's second fiddle player.
	Founding member Lee Bidgood was the first fiddle player for the band. Lee was also the original mandolin player for Steep Canyon Rangers.
	Banjo player John Templeton was a founding member of the band.

Family & Friends

Tony Williamson has performed in many different musical genres and ensembles, including bluegrass acts like the Bluegrass Alliance in 1976 and 1977 (a band whose alumni also includes Vince Gill, Dan Crary, Sam Bush and Tony Rice). Also during this time, Williamson performed classical mandolin with Duke University Symphony Orchestra, jazz mandolin with “Champagne Charlie,” and as a studio musician appeared on records with many different artists and musical styles including John Hartford, Mike Cross, Bobby Hicks, Ricky Skaggs, Bill Clifton, Mike Seeger, Vassar Clements, Jerry Douglas, Jimmy Murphy, John Duffy and Tom Gray. On January 1, 1990, Tony founded Mandolin Central, which has now become an international resource of mandolin lore, vintage instruments and accessories.

Michael Holland got his start as one of the main songwriters and front man of the critically acclaimed North Carolina rock band Jennyanykind, who, from 1992-2003, carved their own niche in the American roots music landscape by releasing critically acclaimed albums on the now defunct No. 6 records, Elektra/ Time Warner, and Yep Roc records. After Jennyanykind disbanded in 2003, Holland released a solo record entitled "Bootlegger's Dreams" on his own Big Johns Records, to regional acclaim. Michael and his record were nominated for an Indy Award from the Independent Weekly for best folk artist and best folk record of 2004. Late 2004 and early 2005 has seen Michael teaming up with local bluegrass artists to create a modern sound of Appalachia that is at once unique and engaging. Michael Holland music is music that defines a part of North Carolina and Southern culture, but is broad enough to reach across global boundaries. Based in tradition, yet modern in its translation, it draws on the wellspring of American music and the rhythms of everyday life to create an original and inspired musical experience.

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