TOM NAIMAN
// banjo/vocals
A native of Fresno, Tom is a multi-talented singer and instrumentalist and has elevated the band's range of music. Tom brought the “blues” in bluegrass to the forefront of the band's set lists. Whether he is singing Merle Haggard’s “Workin Man’s Blues” or Danny Paisley’s “Raising Cain in Texas”, he draws out the marrow of the bluegrass bone in every song he performs. Tom is a well known past member of Dalton Mountain, Although now disbanded, DM members have spread to other bluegrass bands and continue to shape the future of bluegrass music.
BOB GARCIA
// mandolin/vocals
Bob plays a number of instruments but excels on the mandolin where he executes precision breaks with taste and creativity. Bob is also the lead singer on a number of songs that form the foundation of the band's repertoire. Bob is a native of Fresno and works as an MRI technician at a busy hospital by day and bluegrass man by night. He is married to his wonderful and supportive wife, Connie, and is the proud father of two children.
DAN STEIN
// guitar/vocals
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16+ years of playing bluegrass music has taken Dan from Maine, Vermont and NC to the Bay Area before he finally settled in the Central Valley. Dan's tenure with GK began in 2009 after an audition (unbeknownst to him) in a field picking session at the local Kings River Bluegrass Festival with Bob Garcia. Dan sings harmony and lead vocals on a number of the band's songs. A talented songwriter, he has written original songs for the band and top national touring band, Town Mountain. A native of Pittsfield, Maine, Dan works as an attorney in the city of Fresno.
RON "Bearrrr" MURRAY
// ukulele bass/vocals
Retired from the railroad, Bearrrr is the singing brakeman of the San Joaquin. He is the heart and soul of the band, holding every song down with his unique ukulele bass. A talented singer and songwriter, Bearrrr has written original songs that honor the bluegrass tradition and help keep the band's music unique. Bearrrr is the lead vocal in a number of the band's songs allowing his versatility to truly shine through in every performance.
GUEST ACCOMPANIEST: MATTHEW SONGMAKER //violin/vocals
Matthew Songmaker is a 17-year old musician, songwriter, and award winning fiddle player from the small mountain community of Shingletown, California. His ethnic background includes Inuit (Eskimo) and can trace his roots back to Haines, Alaska. Songmaker is his tribal name.
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Matthew has played all over California, Nevada and Oregon. He most often plays with his band the December Bicyclist, a revolving group of talented musicians. While his musical instrument of choice is the fiddle, Matthew is equally comfortable playing mandolin, banjo or guitar.
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