NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jun 21,2023) - Geary Allen and Anissa Burnett have joined Lincoln Hensley, Aynsley Porchak and Tim Laughlin to launch an exciting new sound for The Tennessee Bluegrass Band. On guitar and vocals, Geary Allen intertwines his European bluegrass and old-time roots with traditional American bluegrass music, bringing a unique vocal and instrumental flair to the band. Anissa Burnett, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, adds her youthful enthusiasm and talent beyond her years as she plays on bass and sings vocals with the band.
Born and raised in Margate, England, Geary Allen grew up playing bluegrass and old time music in his 5 piece band “The Allen Family.” His flatpicking guitar technique is modeled after his musical hero, Doc Watson, and his vocal style is heavily influenced by both Hank Williams and his vocal idol, Lester Flatt. Geary comments, “I’m thrilled to be joining this group of excellent musicians whom I believe represent some of the finest talent in bluegrass music today. We share a love for bluegrass music played in a traditional way, as well as the ambition to create original material that, whilst paying its respects to the founders of the genre, is exciting and new. I am very excited to play and hear all of the music we will create together in the future.”
Founding Tennessee Bluegrass Band member Lincoln Hensley said, “I first met Geary this year at the SPBGMA convention in Nashville TN. We ended up jamming a while on some of our favorite old bluegrass standards, and it was obvious from the word ‘go’ how easy it was for our styles to blend with each other. I asked him if he was looking for any work at the time, because our previous guitar player and lead singer had given his notice, and he said he’d like to work with a professional touring band. The one catch was that he lived in England. I told Geary and his dad, ‘Well, Geary, if you wanna pick berries, you gotta go where the bushes are!” Geary flew back later to the states to audition and try out for a few weekends, and we offered him the position. He’s moved over here now close to us and is constantly singing, playing, and writing music all throughout the day. It’s nice to have such a creative force in the band. We’ve finally assembled a band where all of the members live within 20 minutes of each other. This will allow us to get in a lot more writing sessions and rehearsals. Come see the new lineup when we’re in your area. I believe you’ll like what you hear!”
Anissa Burnett hails from the Appalachian Mountains (Boone, NC) and is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. Like Allen, she played with her family, “The Burnett Family Band,” for many years. A graduate of East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Culture, Anissa was a member of both the ETSU Old-Time Ramblers and the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band. She was awarded the “Outstanding Student Award in Appalachian Studies,” and currently works at ETSU as Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator for the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program.
Anissa adds, “What an honor it is to get to share the stage with some of the most talented musicians in the business! I have a huge appreciation for groups that truly care about tradition and pay attention to the little details, and The Tennessee Bluegrass Band does just that. From top charting releases to classic, memorable stage attire, and exciting stage performance, it’s clear that this band has an incredibly positive future – one that I’m thrilled and grateful to be a part of!”
Founding Tennessee Bluegrass Band member Aynsley Porchak commented, “Lincoln and I both knew Anissa from our time at East Tennessee State University. Anissa and I are currently colleagues at ETSU. She had been playing with her sister band The Burnett Sisters. When the bass position became available, it made perfect sense to contact her, and I am so glad she accepted! Anissa is a great singer and bass player, and brings a great stage presence and work ethic (plus lots of enthusiasm) to the band! I can’t wait for our fans to see Anissa and Geary on stage with us”
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band’s debut project, The Future of the Past, was voted as the #4 best New Album in Bluegrass Unlimited’s 2023 Readers Poll. In addition, “I’m Warming Up to an Old Flame,” their debut single, was voted the #2 New Song. Both the album and song peaked at #2 on BU’s Top Bluegrass Albums and Top Bluegrass Songs chart, respectively.
Check out upcoming shows to see the full band in swing HERE.
