Pioneer flatpicker Dan Crary, and longtime singer/songwriter Steve Spurgin have recently been joined by Martin Stevens, a multi-instrumentalist and singer from the Northwest. A shared passion for the music itself created the ensemble: Dan Crary & Thunderation.
A concert by Thunderation is whistling winds in the pines, rambling boys and tragic girls, joys and laughter from old times, fast and furious instrumental tunes and a little touch of glory-to-god. And it’s ghosts of Jimmie Rogers and The Carter Family and Bill and Lester and Earl and Woodie Guthrie and all the greats who showed us the way
When Thunderation plays, you may "shiver when the cold wind blows," but it's OK because pretty soon, "sun's gonna' shine in my back door someday."
DAN CRARY is the musical legend, master of the guitar, a founder and pioneer of flatpicking, and a stylist with an international reputation for innovation, taste, and brilliance. His performance style blends traditional material from a variety of American sources and continues to blaze exciting new territory in his recordings and personal appearances today. Dan is a veteran of tours in more than thirty countries as he connects musically and personally with fans throughout the world. If creativity, quality, and longevity are hallmarks of artistic achievement, then Dan Crary must be recognized as one of the greatest traditional artists of our day.
STEVE SPURGIN is a native son of the Lone Star State whose song writing, recording, and performing have spanned the globe and earned him wide acclaim and a multitude of fans. As a former Nashville staff writer penning songs for the publishing companies of Gene Watson and Reba McEntire, Steve has several major country music hits to his credit and has received awards from BMI and IBMA, as well as being a "New Folk" winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival. His "performed with" resume’ includes, among others, the super group California, Byron Berline and Sundance, Mason Williams, Freddy Fender, and The Limelighters.
MARTIN STEVENS Martin Stevens, multi-instrumentalist, has grown up in the Northwest Bluegrass and Contest Fiddle community. At the age of 6, and again at 7, he won the Washington State Small Fry Fiddle Championships. He has also added Washington’s Young Adult Fiddle Championship to his list of triumphs. The bluegrass crowd may recognize him from Athena and the River City Boys, The Bluegrass Regulators or as half of the popular duo, Molly Adkins and Martin Stevens. His tasteful picking and smooth vocals have earned him a reputation as one of the hottest young talents on the northwest bluegrass scene today. Martin has also shared the stage with Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, Tim O' Brien, David Grisman, as well as many other well-established and amazingly talented bluegrass musicians.