Mountain Heart
Mountain Heart is an American bluegrass music band. The current lineup is:
- Barry Abernathy - banjo and vocals
- Steve Gulley - guitar and vocals
- Clay Jones - guitar and vocals
- Jason Moore - acoustic bass and vocals
- Adam Steffey - mandolin and vocals
- Jim Van Cleve - fiddle and vocals
History
The band was formed in 1998 by Gulley, Abernathy, Steffey, and Van Cleve. Johnny Dowdle was the original bass player. For a short period, Steffey left the band to play with The Isaacs, a bluegrass gospel group. During that period, Steffey was replaced by mandolinist Alan Perdue. After their debut album, Dowdle left the group, and was replaced by former James King bass player Jason Moore. After Steffey's return to the group, Mountain Heart added virtuoso guitarist Clay Jones to the lineup. The addition of Jones provided the group another lead instrument. He also enabled the group to create a more dynamic, textured sound. Mountain Heart has been with the Skaggs Family record label since 2002.
Awards and Recognition
The group's instrumental and vocal prowess are widely acclaimed in bluegrass and other acoustic music circles. The band was awarded the IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year award in 1999. They have been nominated for several other IBMA awards, including "Instrumental Group of the Year for 2006. Adam Steffey has won four IBMA awards for "Mandolin Performer of the Year", and Jason Moore has been nominated for "Bass Performer of the Year" for 2006.
Discography
- Mountain Heart, 1999 - Doobie Shea Records
- The Journey, 2000 - Doobie Shea Records
- No Other Way, 2002 - Skaggs Family Records
- Force of Nature, 2004 - Skaggs Family Records
- Wide Open, 2006 - Skaggs Family Records