High Country
Bands / Ensembles
High Country, formed in 1968, is a bluegrass band from the San Francisco Bay Area, founded and led by mandolinist Butch Waller. Guitarist Rich Wilbur joined early and Bruce Nemerov (banjo), Ed Neff (fiddle) and Chuck Wiley (bass) came in about a year later with Lonnie Feiner replacing Wiley soon after. In 1971, High Country became the first West Coast band invited to Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom festival. Membership has changed often with more than 30 musicians rotating through, including Pete Wernick, Rick Shubb, Pat Enright and Sue Ericsson. In 2018, the lineup included Waller, his brother Bob Waller on guitar, Glenn Dauphin on bass, Tom Bekeny on fiddle, Jim Mintun on resonator guitar and Larry Cohea on banjo.
In the newsletter
- No. 22 Winter 2000