Music has always been a way of life for Les. With both parents and many relatives having been musicians, he was immersed from an early age. One relative in particular was a strong influence, his uncle ‘Hank’ Eberhardt, who played fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and sang. It was uncle Hank who taught Les his first chords and encouraged him to play first the tenor guitar and later the 6-string (Spanish) guitar.
Over the years, Les has performed in many genres of music including early rockabilly, country and modern dance bands, and concert club bands. His instrument of choice throughout his earlier career was the electric guitar. Les has combined his wealth of experience from those years on stage with his personal love for the flat-picked guitar, and has developed a pure bluegrass sound.
Les’ affiliation with major bluegrass clubs and festivals, his attendance at notable workshops and jams, together with his studio hours and many live performances have given Woodbend the best of the best.
Les plays a Santa Cruz D Tony Rice Professional guitar with John Pearse Acoustic #700M strings & a Wegenpicks TF 140 pick.
Ron grew up in Killam, Alberta listening to his Dad play whatever instrument he brought home from the Auction Mart. He started playing banjo and guitar in his early twenties and soon expanded to other instruments. Bluegrass was his first love and Ron could play melodies on all the traditional instruments.
Ron developed a passion for learning to play many different musical instruments. To date, he has mastered several, including pedal steel, blues/rock harmonica, tenor sax, electric guitar and a serious stint as a bagpiper with the Old Strathcona Pipe and Drum. He toured extensively with a retro show band and later as a duo with his wife Jean.
It is our good fortune that Ron has re-discovered his love for traditional bluegrass music and he couldn’t be happier than where he is right now!” A self confessed music-oholic, he’s focusing strongly on the banjo and its cousin the resonator guitar.
Ron uses a top of the line Recording King banjo of his dreams that he received for a Christmas present in 2009. He likes using medium gauge Martin banjo strings. A small ocean of abalone donated their lives for the mother of pearl inlay designs on the neck. His resophonic guitar is a Wechter Scheerhorn model armed with those cool cryogenically frozen GHS professional resonator strings.
Terry is a well known Alberta born and bred musician. He was a favourite at many folk venues around the province during the 60’s and 70’s where he sang and played the guitar. He couldn’t resist the lure of the violin and spent long hours learning to perfect the ‘feel’ of this challenging instrument. Many weekends were consumed traveling and competing at fiddle contests, culminating in top place at a prestigious major Old Tyme Fiddlers Championship in 1981.
Since then, Terry has been in much demand and has performed with many notable musicians. He has contributed to both live and studio performances and is a great addition to the Woodbend Bluegrass Band, He has a unique and pleasing vocal style, superb fiddling prowess, and original songs and we sure welcome his great sense of humour!
Terry plays a very old no name violin & uses Superflexible, medium rope core Thomastik-Infeld Vienna violin strings, tourte bow & Hidersine Delux rosin.
Jessi hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario where her Father started her singing at the age of seven. Too shy to sing then, she’d stand behind her Dad singing "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" while he accompanied her on the guitar. To this day he remains her biggest musical inspiration. Since then, Jessi has sung in many church choirs and in 2001 became part of the band Jac and Jessi. She has performed at many Festivals all over Alberta and is one of the judges for the Northlands Country Vocal Spotlight talent search contest. Jessi is new to the “bluegrass circle” and is loving the music.
Jessi plays both an A and F style SOHN mandolin, medium gage D'Addario EXP77 80/20 strings, Jim Dunlop stubby 3.00 Jazz pick, or a moose horn pick carved by hand
Jean was born and raised in Edmonton and has been playing piano and singing since she was five years old. She is classically trained and has taught music for 15 years. Her musical career has included playing the keyboards in several different bands including Country, Rock n Roll and Old Time dance bands. She has dabbled on guitar, accordion, trumpet and the cello over the years. Her latest accomplishment is playing the double bass for Woodbend.
Jean plays a 1930's Franz Joseph Pfretschner (made in Germany) acoustic double bass and a black 2009 Stagg electric upright bass. She uses D'Addario Helicore medium tension bass strings on both.
