Mike Stadler & Mary Gibbons Band

This fine gathering of highly experienced musicians pulls together to find the common ground between early Country and Bluegrass and to include original material and contemporary songs suited to such a goal. The band features the clean, intricate harmonies of Mike Stadler and Mary Gibbons stacked atop a bed of dynamic acoustic instruments and pedal steel guitar.

Mike Stadler has been in music since the age of six. His is a powerful voice well suited to American roots forms — Country, Bluegrass, Old Time and Folk. A multi-instrumentalist, Mike mainly sticks to mandolin and lead guitar with this group, though fiddle or clawhammer banjo might also put in an appearance.

Mary Gibbons has played and sung bluegrass and country music for more than twenty years. Born in San Francisco and a lifelong Bay Area resident, she has played, recorded, and toured with The All Girl Boys, Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals and The Fog City Ramblers. Her voice and guitar are featured on other recordings by Lewis, as well as those of Tom Rozum and singer-songwriter Erica Wheeler.

His solo CD North Country was released in late summer 2005 and features all the band members.

His fingerstyle guitar playing is also featured on a Solid Air Records (www.solidairrecords.com) release, Clawhammer Guitar: The Collection, which also features Steve Baughman, Jody Stecher and Alec Stone Sweet.

"… Stadler's original "Dogs in the Creekbed/Gator in the Lap Lane" is a haunting, rhythmic tour de force." Acoustic Guitar magazine

“... a typically eclectic set on any number of instruments; he’s one of those musicians who  believes you don’t have to be flashy to be good — and he’s much better than good.”

 Larry Kelp, East Bay Express, San Francisco area

 “... all-round musician Michael Stadler
 (one hell of a country singer).”

Laurie Lewis, SF Bay Area bluegrass musician

“Michael Stadler has the voice of a very loud, articulate angel. He’s a master interpreter with a beautiful voice, a thoughtful and humorous songwriter. And he’s an accomplished and sophisticated player of just about anything with strings. A total pleasure. Don’t miss him!”

Mary Tilson, Berkeley, CA, KPFA 94.1
(www.kpfa.org), America’s Back Forty

“…an East Bay bluegrass stalwart known for his tasteful and restrained musicianship.”       

Nearly Beloved CD review – Rootsrock.com

Described as a “strong, stylish singer” in Bluegrass Unlimited, Mary is a member of a short list of soulful California-bred, female bluegrass vocalists that includes Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick and Kate Brislin. Her powerful voice adapts easily to any style—emotive country, gutsy blues or straight-ahead bluegrass.

Her highly regarded rhythm guitar playing has earned her teaching slots at major music camps and a feature article in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. She adds her original songs to the quartet’s carefully chosen repertoire.

“[Mary Gibbons] is a strong, stylish singer, whether burning through some bluesy bluegrass or wearing out a country weeper. “

Bluegrass Unlimited  

“Distinctive original material and lead vocals by Mary Gibbons key the debut…”

International Bluegrass

“Mary has a great sense of rhythm and is dedicated to rhythm guitar—a valuable asset to any band.  She doesn’t play wimpy guitar: she gets in there with well-placed runs and a lot of power in her playing.”

Laurie Lewis  

Jon Mitguard, a Colorado Springs native, handles pedal steel and dobro for the band. A diverse stylist, Jon's steel sound incor­porates percussive picking techniques that add distinctive flavors to the liquid steel sound. After learning what all those pedals and knee levers did, he played with people such as Rose Maddox, David Nelson (New Riders of the Purple Sage), Kristen McNamara, The Lucky Dogs, and has appeared on a variety of recording projects.

Driving bassist Paul Knight is a member in good standing of Peter Rowan’s Free Mexican Air Force; he has has performed with Laurie Lewis, Perfect Strangers, Due West, Wake The Dead,
The David Thom Band & many others.
Can be heard on CD with Sandy Rothman, David Thom, Joe New, Rusty Evans & Earl E. Graves.