Mary Ellen Simpson is an American violinist, mostly noted for her work with Yanni, Gary Ruley and Mule Train and Walker's Run. She is a founding member of The Whiskey Rebellion band.
Biography Simpson's father, a documented descendant of Pocahontas, plays banjo and her Taiwanese mother is a classically trained pianist. She is the sister of noted violinist Ann Marie Calhoun and her brothers play guitar.
She began learning to play violin at the age of five. She says she grew up listening to her sister play. Like her sister she played bluegrass music in her family band. According to Simpson, "her classical background gives her a wider variety of tones and better control of her sound than she would have had she only studied bluegrass.""On the Frontier of Bluegrass Stands the Whiskey Rebellion " Will's Corner, Magazine 33, Vol. 4; January 2010.
Mary attended Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. She has a double majorMary Simpson official website in music and economics from the University of Virginia.
The Whiskey Rebellion
Mary Simpson, Roy Myers, Ryan Phillips, and David Cosper connected the summer of 2005 at the Maury River Fiddler's Convention in Buena Vista, Virginia. Myers and Phillips had been performing around Richmond while Simpson and Cosper appeared in Charlottesville while studying music at the University of Virginia. The Richmond faction invited the Charlottesvillians east for some gigs and the band was formed."Whiskey Rebellion Time: Going Beyond Bluegrass and studio Recordings" by Bill Craig, Richmond Times Dispatch; September 6, 2007. As to how an historic event – the "unhappy reaction of whiskey makers to a tax imposed by the federal government during George Washington's presidency" – ended up being their band name, Phillips explains:
Tim Deibler, bass player − a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, who studied music at Christopher Newport University − is the newest member of the group.The Whiskey Rebellion: News official website.
The Whiskey Rebellion went into the recording studio this and recorded several new songs which will be included on an upcoming EP.
Performance The Whiskey Rebellion has appeared at numerous notable music festivals such as the 25th anniversary of "The Goonies" Festival in Astoria, Oregon; Maury River Fiddler's Convention in Buena Vista, Virginia; and Watermelon Park Festival in Berryville, Virginia.Artist Profile: The Whiskey Rebellion SonicBids. They have shared the bill with such acts as The Sam Bush Band, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Tim O'Brien, The Seldom Scene, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Larry Keel, and many more.SonicBids electronic press kit.
Simpson performed with Yanni on his 2011 North American Spring Tour. They played such venues as Radio City Music Hall in New York City, The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.Yanni official website.
She was part of Yanni's orchestra in the 2014 World Tour and part of his 2016 North American Tour.
Musical style The Whiskey Rebellion "plays a mostly high-energy, joyful brand of bluegrass, with skillful picking and two and three-part harmonies" according to The Virginia Pilot."Whiskey Rebellion likes to jam with high-energy" by John Harper, The Virginia Pilot; May 19, 2006. But, while a "casual listen" to their debut album might tempt one to "plug the band into the category reserved for pure bluegrass," warns the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "... there's much more to The Whiskey Rebellion than twang and high lonesome." Says founder Simpson: "We play a lot of bluegrass standards, and we also take a lot of popular songs and cover them, bluegrass style.""Whiskey Rebellion unites broad backgrounds" by Bill Kramer, The Staunton News Leader; 4/18/08.
Personnel Musicians performing together in The Whiskey Rebellion include: Mary Simpson – violin / vocals Jared Pool – mandolin / vocals Roy Myers – banjo Tim Deibler – bass Ryan Phillips – guitar
Distinctions, honors, and awards The Whiskey Rebellion music video, The Ballad of Chester Copperpot, took the 2010 Gold Level Oregon Film Awards: Oregon Film Competition at the Oregon Film Festival.2010 Oregon Film Awards Gold Level Winners. The Whiskey Rebellion mandolinist Jared Pool performed a show with John Starling, founding member of The Seldom Scene, in Starling's hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Ryan Phillips placed first in the 2010 Watermelon Park Festival guitar contest. The prize was a custom Left Handed Fairbuilt Barnburner guitar (base value of $2,400).Fairbuilt Guitar Company The Watermelon Park Fest Pickin' Contest: 2010 Winners (confirmed by e-mail from Martin Fair; January 26, 2012). He placed third in the same contest in 2007.Fairbuilt Guitar Company The Watermelon Park Fest Pickin' Contest: 2007 Winners. The Whiskey Rebellion was invited to play the 25th anniversary of "The Goonies" Festival that took place June 4–7, 2010 in Astoria, Oregon. Jared Pool placed first in the 2007 Watermelon Park Festival guitar contest, winning a Fairbuilt Barnburner guitar (base value of $2,400). The Pat Ruley Trophy for Best All Around Blue Grass Performer, named for Gary Ruley's father and presented annually at the Maury River Fiddler's Convention held in Buena Vista, Virginia, was won by Mary Simpson in 2005.Maury River Fiddler's Convention Winners.
Discography The Whiskey Rebellion (2007) Crop Circle Records Lay It Down (2009), CD Baby
References
External links
Mary Simpson Facebook page. The Whiskey Rebellion official website.