ShoreGrass Band

Bio of the Band

ShoreGrass is a bluegrass band from the Connecticut shoreline comprised of Frank & Barbara Shaw (banjo & guitar) and various musicians on mandolin, bass, fiddle and Dobro. The full ShoreGrass band is a quintet, but they also frequently perform in smaller configurations, during which they call themselves SHORTGrass!  The group has performed locally as well as around the Northeast since 1996.

Their music is a lively mix of traditional bluegrass, old-time, early country, gospel and folk songs as well as original pieces reflecting their roots in contemporary music with a local flavor. The group has several singers who alternate leads on 3-part vocal harmonies, and that unique bluegrass blend of guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass and Dobro. Their musicianship demonstrates the range and uniqueness of each instrument as well as an unusually rich vocal blend, all delivered with the special sense of humor that marks all ShoreGrass performances.

ShoreGrass has released three albums, including "In Connecticut" (2001), "Songs of the Civil War Era" (2005) and "Going Home" (2007). Bluegrass Unlimited magazine called their latest album "a pleasant collection of down-home music that should attract considerable attention for the band."  Sing Out! magazine called ShoreGrass "a refreshing reminder of what bluegrass music is really all about:  a talented, family-based band that seem to truly relish playing and singing together."

Past performances include:

Atria Larsen Place
Beardsley Park ZooFolk Concert Series
Blackstone Library
Borderline Folk Music Club (NY)
Branford Chamber of Commerce
Branford Family Day Festival
Branford Folk Music Society
Branford High School
Branford Historical Society
Branford River Festival
Bushnell Park Cafe
Chaplin Congregational Church
Cheshire Strawberry Festival
Community Dining Room
Connecticut State Capitol - BESB Awards
Country Corner Coffeehouse (MA)
Cromwell Hilltop Covenant Church
Dolly Madison Inn
East Hartford Community Cultural Center (EHCCC)
Fiery Hill Festival (NY)
Firebox Restaurant of Hartford
First Baptist Church of Shelton
First Congregational Church of Branford
Fish Family Farm in Bolton
Guilford Savings Bank
Harbor Village
Haverstraw Library (NY)
Hilltop Farm in Suffield
Madison Farmer's Market
NEFFA (MA) (New England Folk Festival)
New Haven Folk Festival
New London Unitarian Coffeehouse
Newtown's Edmond Town Hall
NOMAD Festival (Northeast Music, Art and Dance)
North Haven Congregational Church Pierpont Series
Old Roxbury Station
Old Stone Church Coffeehouse
Overseas Ministries Study Center
Owenego Inn
Performing Arts Center of Easthampton (MA)
Private parties galore....
Saybrook Point Inn
Shady Creek Festival
Sounding Board
St. John's Folk Traditions Night
Stonington Village Fair
Sunset King Chapel, DeFuniak Springs (FL)
Temple Beth Sholom of Manchester
The Branford Festival
The Space
Trinity Church Newtown
White Lilac Tearoom
Willie's Steak House
WPKN - live
WSHU - live

Frank plays banjo and is a retired manufacturing engineer. He was bass player and vocalist in the 70's folk / rock band Clean Living, which recorded two albums on the Vanguard label.  He was winner of the 1st place old-time banjo award at the 2001 Roxbury Contest. He sings lead, baritone and sometimes tenor.

Barbara plays guitar, sings lead and harmony and writes original music for the group. She is a retired  information technology consultant and is currently a freelance writer, photographer and gad-about.  Along with husband Frank, she was one of the original members of the Yale-based "Professors of Bluegrass" band.

For information about booking or to sign up to be on our e-mail list, send a note to: ShoreGrass@snet.net.

We would love to hear from you if you have visited this site.