Valery Smith and Libery Pike

[giverin]

Hi everyone,
Val Smith and her band liberty pike are playing near me soon. I was just hoping if anyone on the cafe could give me any feedback on them. I havent heard any of their stuff but people have told me they're pretty good.
Any comments welcome..
mike

[Tom C]

I have not seen them for a long time, but I'd say check it out.

[steve in tampa]

Seen them several times. She puts on a great, energetic show, and has a very talented band.

[Big Joe]

Great band and great musicians and great songwriting. You will enjoy them very much. Valerie is very demanding and expects her musicians to give it all when they perform, and they do.

[earthsave]

Vivacious, energetic, a ball of fire. I havent seen them for a couple years, but that was what I recall. Plus she did a great cover of one of Tom Roznowski's songs, "Turtle Wings" which was cool. Tom lives in Bloomington, IN.

[AlanN]

Is the mando picker Wes, a previous Merlefest mandolin champ? What kind of picker is he, stylistically speaking?

[Bill James]

Becky Buller plays with them and is a great songwriter. She's the cat's PJ's, hails from Minnesota so ya gotta love that. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[earthsave]

Wes was with them the last time I saw em... which was probably 2003. However, in Bluegrass, band members change all the time.

[earthsave]

Oh yeah, I'm sure you could hit their website and see who the current members are.

http://www.valeriesmithonline.com/

John Wesley Lee - Mandolin/Mandola/Guitar/Tunesmith
Seems his sister is the Bass player now.

[giverin]

Yeah, on her website it says that he has won at Merlefest, and come top 5 at Winfield.....not a bad player i guess.

[greg boyd]

Hi,

This band is great!
They blend stage prescence with lots of great music - instrumentally and vocally.
And Valerie Smith is definitely one vocalist that "has it going on"...

- Greg Boyd
House of Fine Instruments
www.gregboyd.com