Bluegrass
Taylorstown and Lexington, VA
One of the most respected and versatile multi-instrumentalists of his generation, longtime Virginia Folklife Stage favorite Danny Knicely has won many awards and is deeply revered for his virtuosity on the mandolin, guitar, and fiddle, as well as his singing style and flatfoot dancing. A musician’s musician, Danny has a chameleon-like ability to fit into any musical situation, as evidenced by his prolific participation in cultural exchanges with a diverse range of musicians from across the globe. Here in the U.S. Danny has collaborated with prominent musicians such as Vassar Clements, Tim O’Brien, Wyatt Rice, Cedric Watson, Mark Schatz, and banjoist Will Lee, whom he met while jamming at the legendary Galax Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
A North Carolina native, Will grew up with musicians on both sides of his family. His father, Rickey Lee, was a well-known guitarist with the Bluegrass Tarheels, special proteges of Bill Monroe, and later was featured as the lead guitarist for the Stanley Brothers which, in fact, brought his family to Southwest Virginia. On his mom’s side, Grandpa Clark was a fine ragtime pianist whose two sons both played guitar. Lee’s instrument of choice, the banjo, was passed down from his grandfather and namesake, William Penmon Lee, a respected clawhammer banjo player in Alabama and Mississippi.
Danny and Will connected immediately, and, along with guitarist Larry Keel and bassist John Flower, formed McGraw Gap which later won the prestigious Bluegrass Band Contest at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and is still remembered as one of the greatest and most groundbreaking bluegrass bands to come out of Virginia. Danny and Will continue to play and sing together regularly and recently released a stellar album, The Evening News, with friend and collaborator John Flower.