Welcome to the ShoreGrass Band website!
Original ShoreGrass Band (1999) Louis, Barbara, Frank, Paul, Larry
About ShoreGrass
ShoreGrass is a bluegrass band from the Connecticut shoreline comprised of Frank & Barbara Shaw (banjo & guitar), Louis Audette on bass and various musicians on mandolin, fiddle and Dobro. The full ShoreGrass band is often a quintet, but they also perform in smaller configurations, during which they sometimes call themselves SHORTGrass! The group has performed locally as well as around the Northeast since 1999.
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 several singles and four albums, including "In Connecticut" (2001), "Songs of the Civil War Era" (2005), "Going Home" (2007) and "Hummingbird" (2014). Bluegrass Unlimited magazine called their "Going Home" 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."
The band is currently working on an unusual, special recording project. More info soon! Check out our Music page for samples and more details.
For more info about the band, check out our Bio page.
For information about booking, check out our Contact page or send a note to:
shoregrass@snet.net
Past Performances
If you wonder whether we're right for your venue or event, here are some of the places where we've performed. We're sure any one of them would give us a great referral! On the other hand, if you're not like any of these places, get in touch and we'll discuss. Also, go take a look at our Photos page to see us in action!
Apple Rehab Saybrook
Ashlar Village
Asylum Hill Congregational Church
Atria Larson Place
Audette House Concert Series
Babb's Bluegrass Festival
BACA (Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance) Gallery
Bauer Park Harvest Festival
Beardsley Park ZooFolk Concert Series
Blackstone Library
Borderline Folk Music Club (NY)
Brandywine Senior Living
Branford Chamber of Commerce
Branford Earth Day Festival
Branford Elks Club
Branford Family Day Festival
Branford Folk Music Society
Branford High School
Branford Hills Health Care Center
Branford Historical Society
Branford River Festival
Bushnell Park Cafe
Camp Wightman
Chaplin Congregational Church
Chautauqua Healthcare Services (DeFuniak Springs, FL)
Cheshire Strawberry Festival
Community Dining Room
Comstock Ferre & Co, Wethersfield
Congregational Church in South Glastonbury
Connecticut State Capitol - BESB Awards
Country Corner Coffeehouse (MA)
Cromwell Hilltop Covenant Church
Deep River Concert Series
Dolly Madison Inn
Eagle Pond (South Dennis, MA)
East Haddam Music on the River Series
East Hartford Community Cultural Center (EHCCC)
Edgerton Park Carriage House
Elizabeth Park Pond House
Elmwood Community Center of West Hartford
Fiery Hill Festival (NY)
Firebox Restaurant of Hartford
First Baptist Church of Lexington (MA)
First Baptist Church of Shelton
First Congregational Church of Branford
First Lutheran Church of New Britain
First Presbyterian Church of New Haven
Fish Family Farm in Bolton
Florence Griswold Museum
Florida State Bluegrass Festival (with the Fromallovers), (Perry, FL)
Galax Old Fiddler's Convention (VA)
Guilford Performing Arts Festival
Guilford Savings Bank
Harbor Village
Hartland Hollow Bluegrass Festival
Haverstraw Library (NY)
Hearth at Tuxis Pond
Hilltop Farm in Suffield
Killingly Grange
Lyme Public Hall
Madison Farmer's Market
Middlefield Federated Church
Mineral Springs Foot Stomp'n Festival
NEFFA (New England Folk Festival), (MA)
New Haven Folk Festival
New Haven Lawn Club
New London Unitarian Coffeehouse
Newtown's Edmond Town Hall
NOMAD Festival (Northeast Music, Art and Dance)
North Haven Congregational Church Pierpont Series
North Branford Community Center
Old Fiddler's Convention (with Roger Sprung), (Galax, VA)
Old Roxbury Station
Old Stone Church Coffeehouse of East Haven
Oronoque Village
Overseas Ministries Study Center of New Haven
Owenego Inn
Performing Arts Center of Easthampton (MA)
Private parties galore....
Quarry Ridge Golf Course
Ranchero Village Chapel (Largo, FL)
Saybrook Point Inn
Seabury Community
Second Baptist Church of So. Hadley (MA)
Shady Creek Festival
Simsbury Community Farm (Chrysalis Center)
Sounding Board of West Hartford
South Farms Festival of Morris
St. John's Folk Traditions Night & Bluegrass Showcase
Stonington Village Fair
Sunset King Chapel (DeFuniak Springs, FL)
Temple Beth Sholom of Manchester
The Branford Festival
The Space (Hamden)
The Outer Space
Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival (with Al Hawkes Band), (ME)
Trinity Church Newtown
Westchester Bluegrass Club (NY)
White Lilac Tearoom
Whitney Center (Hamden)
Willie's Steak House of Manchester
WDBJ (Roanoke, VA)
WPKN - live
WSHU - live
WWB - World Wide Bluegrass - live