MP3 On Tyme - I Know What Lies Ahead

Appalachian old time Gospel and bluegrass, with a little bit of country, blues, and acapella mixed in.

13 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Bluegrass, SPIRITUAL: Country Gospel

Show all album songs: I Know What Lies Ahead Songs


Details:
"I've had a chance to listen to the new On Tyme record a couple of times already and must say that I love the band. Obviously your banjo player and harp guy are joined at the hip. Sounds like Ralph Stanley raised you right. You guys and Reja sing like angels with creative and pleasing harmonies that melt perfectly into instrumental breaks. I think Annabelle is my favorite. Next time Alison Krause is in town she can leave Union Station back home and play with On Tyme." âGS


Singer and guitarist Robert Steffey was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, just a stoneâs throw from the home of Ralph Stanley, the Carters, and other notable old time and bluegrass musicians. As a teen, Robert moved to the Chicago suburbs, where he met and married his wife of 40 years, Georgia. In 2003, Robert felt called to start a Gospel band, but was discouraged because he âcouldnât find anyone that played the same kind of music I didâ. One day he ran into a friend who steered him to a nearby bluegrass jam, where he met several musicians that would later become part of the group.

Bill Jager, vocalist, clawhammer banjo, and bass player, grew up in the Saint Louis area listening to bluegrass and folk music. Throughout high school and college, he perfected his guitar and harmonica playing. He eventually moved to rural northern Illinois to follow his family roots. When Bill was 42, his dad â an avid bluegrass fan -- gave him an old banjo, and Bill decided to learn to play. Searching for a banjo instructor, he went to a local bluegrass jam, where he met Robert Steffey -- also there for the first time.

As a youth, band vocalist, mandolin, and guitarist Reja Jager became enamored with blues and folk music. She played various instruments and sang for several years until taking a twenty-year hiatus. One day while traveling in Missouri she was invited to a local Ozark bluegrass jam, which kindled her interest in bluegrass and old time music. Back in Illinois, she started attending local bluegrass jams, where she met Bill (whom she later married) and the rest of the band.

When Charlie Rafferty was six or seven years old, he found an old harmonica in the creek near his rural Kentucky home. The rest is history. Now, over sixty years later, Charlie is known as one of the finest harp players around, and has played or recorded with countless musicians. After living in numerous states and traveling all over the world, he now lives in La Salle County, Illinois. He played on and off with On Tyme before becoming a permanent member when the group reformed in 2005.

Banjo player and vocalist Charlie Stewart joined the group in 2006, after Bill heard him playing banjo at a jam and promptly told the rest of the band: âWe need that guy.â Charlie was drafted soon afterward, replacing Bill on banjo. Born in Missouri, Charlie eventually moved up to Will County, Illinois, where he fronted several successful Chicago area rock and country groups. Eventually he drifted into bluegrass, the music he had been raised on. In addition to his stellar banjo playing, Charlie also plays mandolin, guitar, and electric bass.