Portland, Oregon’s Wayward Vessel is an adventurous alternative acoustic ensemble exploring the boundaries of bluegrass and folk music. With superb musicianship and lush, natural vocal harmonies, the band creates a unique palette to portray their rich library of original and traditional music. Wayward Vessel was born when Ken Chapple (guitar) and Julie Schmidt (fiddle) met at a bluegrass pickin’ session in SE Portland in 2009. It was immediately obvious that the two musicians had a connection, and began to go to work composing, arranging and jamming around the clock. In 2011, Ken and Julie joined forces with two Portland friends, Josiah Payne (mandolin) and Belinda Underwood (bass) who complete the current lineup.
Wayward Vessel fiddle player, Julie Schmidt grew up in Tuolumne, CA, Julie comes from a muscial family. Miss Schmidt is a talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, but most impressive are her fiddle playing and singing. Her violin weeps with sincerity, and her voice resonates with sweetness and maturity.
Wayward Vessel mandolin player, Josiah Payne hails from the bluegrass hotbed, Pagosa Springs, CO, Josiah has been playing groundbreaking licks on the mandolin since he was a wee lad, with his family band, The Hot Strings. Josiah won several mandolin competitions, including Rockygrass and the Walnut Valley Mandolin Championship in Winfield, Kansas.
Wayward Vessel guitar player, Ken Chapple is a guitarist and songwriter, composing the majority of original material for Wayward Vessel. Ken is a musician’s musician who has studied many genres, and is able to intelligently combine them to create new and beautiful sounds. Learn more about Ken at kchaps.com
Wayward Vessel bass player, Belinda Underwood is an extremely talented bass player who’s thoughtful understanding of groove, and feel for the movement of music add a add a toe-tapping momentum to the music of Wayward Vessel. Belinda has deep roots in Jazz and classical music, and brings a unique voice to Wayward Vessel’s lower frequencies. Learn more about Belinda at belindaunderwood.com.
Currently the band is doing a Wednesday night Residency in Portland at The Laurelthirst Pub during Feb 2013
You must be logged in to post a comment.