| “Simon Pure” is cowboy slang for “the
real thing.”
This group of six life-long musicians from Southern California met
at the Agoura Hills jam in 2005 and decided they wanted to play together
more often.
Leader and mando player Brian Campbell says, “It started as
fun, and just became family.” It also became very good music.
The band combines close three and four part vocal harmonies with instrumental
dazzle.
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Brian Campbell [lead vocal, harmony vocal, mandolin]
is a spontaneous improviser who is always pushing the envelope.
Brian says that ‘Simon Pure’ is Cowboy slang for ‘the
real thing,’ and that’s what he wants his band to be. |
| Laurie Campbell [lead vocal, harmony vocal, rhythm
guitar] sings in a clear lyric country tone that is so natural,
it is hard to remember that hers is a trained voice. She was a music
major in Montana when she met and married Brian. |
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Ron Miller [lead vocal, harmony vocal, flat-pick guitar]
lives music on both sides of the microphone. He works as a network
recording engineer. With Simon Pure his singing and playing provides
the band’s drive. |
| Tom Robison [banjo] took up the banjo in 1975 after
hearing the Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall album. “I’ve
never stopped being a student,” he says. The years of work
show in the even articulation and rich tone of his playing. |
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Bob Dolan [bass] is a former music major
who found Bluegrass later in his life. His unadorned bass lines
contrast well with the more note-filled lines of the solo instruments.
For Simon Pure, he is the cornerstone. |
| Jarrett Lesko: [dobro] is an LA native who gigged
and recorded playing electric bass before moving to resophonic guitar.
His up-tempo breaks add spirit to Simon Pure, and his sliding licks
on the ballads add soul. |
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