About Tim Weed
"There's a group of musicians who have been redefining the banjo. People like Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, and Bill Keith . . . Tim Weed is one of those musicians."
-Duane Inglish, Live Oak Music FestivalTim Weed is an acoustic multi-instrumentalist, classical banjo virtuoso, and singer-songwriter whose music traverses genres and defies categorization. His collection of original classical works for the 5-string banjo, Milagros, is regularly featured on National Public Radio and has been highly praised. He has been invited to perform this music at the Arizona Chamber Music Festival and for the Dalai Lama.
Also known by his original name, Tim Wiedenkeller, Tim began as a bluegrass prodigy on banjo in Southern California. He started playing at age 16, and two years later was travelling with the high-powered young bluegrass band Last Chance. During its few years of existence, Last Chance helped produce some of today's most influential bluegrass musicians, including Stuart Duncan, Gene Libbea, and Alison Brown - bandmates who all became Grammy Award winners.
During the 80's Tim turned his interest away from the banjo, toward guitar, voice, and studio recording. He spent 15 years performing, writing, producing, and recording in a wide variety of musical styles with the best musicians and recording studios in Los Angeles. He also travelled extensively during this time, and was profoundly influenced by the musical cultures he was exposed to in the Orient, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific.
He rediscovered the banjo in the 90's and began playing, composing, and recording his own virtuosic classical music. This work has been praised for "redefining the banjo" with a new level of sophistication, complexity and beauty, and revealing its similarities to instruments from around the world.
In 2008 Tim began recording with Dave Matthews Band for a movie soundtrack and CD. He worked with award-winning producer, composer, and musician Steve Wood on this project - Wood has produced music with Sting, George Harrison, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Loggins, and Crosby-Nash.
He now lives part-time in both northern California and southern Arizona, working as a concert musician, recording artist and sideman. He's a yogi, vegan, naturalist, environmentalist, surfer, and father of two children.
Live audiences know Tim as an exciting, captivating performer who's full of surprises. His concerts showcase his cutting-edge acoustic music, journeying through a boundless mix of classical banjo, bluegrass, jazz, rock and traditional music, and international music. His concerts always include improvisation and dazzling interplay between band members, epitomizing what great live music is all about.
Tim Weed Band
Debbie Daly, Mark Robertson-Tessi, Tim Weed, Porangui, Rob Paulus
Photo by Todd Pickering
Concerts with Tim's band always include improvisation and exciting interplay between the musicians, epitomizing what great live music is all about. The Tim Weed Band comes in different configurations of the following musicians from around the country:
Debbie Daly (vocals, guitar, percussion) * www.DebbieDaly.com
Mark Robertson-Tessi (mandolin,vocals) * PickPluckMusic.com/mrt
Rob Paulus (bass, violin) * www.RobPaulus.com
Porangui (percussion) * www.porangui.com
Will Clipman (percussion) * www.WillClipman.com
Tim Weed and Mark Robertson-Tessi
Mark Robertson-Tessi adds complementary mandolin parts to many of Tim's classical banjo compositions. The combination of these two musicians, who are both also strong improvisational performers, makes for a fascinating, new approach to classical music. They've been performing together since 2006, and they've been invited to perform for the Arizona Chamber Music Festival and other arts organizations. Some samples of this music can be heard on Tim's MySpace Page.
Tim Weed and Debbie Daly
Debbie Daly adds vocal harmony to most of Tim's songs, and the two perform as a duo. The combination of their voices creates a beautiful clear sound, often in high ranges. They perform in a variety of musical styles, specializing in bluegrass and old-time duets. Slick Rock is a popular favorite that can be heard on Debbie's MySpace Page.