Bio
The Brombies are a Los Angeles, CA band formed by Jo Ellen & George Doering in the late 1980's. All of the band members have played different styles of music from an early age, but for the past five years they've been dedicated to traditional bluegrass. They've all been performing as professional musicians for too long to even mention & as individuals they each have a long list of credits. They are all prominent in the southern California recording & bluegrass scene. With Jo Ellen on guitar & vocals, George on mandolin & vocals, Bill Bryson on bass & vocals and Patrick Sauber on banjo & vocals you've got an exciting band full of talent and experience. These seasoned performers travel all over the western states playing at various bluegrass festivals. The band places a lot of emphasis on the vocal harmonies and instrumentals, but their primary goal is to present their original songs and to play some music that might lift the spirits of the audience for that brief time they are there. Jo Ellen & George were winners in the Bluegrass & Gospel categories for the Chris Austin Songwriters Contest at Merlefest in 2007, 2009 & 2010. They've also been honored to perform in the IBMA Songwriters Showcase in Nashville in 2006 & 2010. Rhonda Vincent has recorded "Anywhere Is Home When You're With Me", one of Jo Ellen and George's songs from their first CD.
The Brombies (Brumby's) are the wild horses that roam the outback of Australia. Click here for more information on the Brumbies.
Bio
The Brombies are based in the Los Angeles area and have been keeping bluegrass & country music alive there since way back in the 20th century. When Jo Ellen and George Doering began to twang high & lonesome together they found a magical combination of blend and harmony. With the combined talent & experience of these lifelong musicians, you'll be treated to exciting traditional and original music. The Brombies often play with several other musicians, but also perform as a DUO. They travel all over the western states playing and singing their unique style of bluegrass and country. And yes, they're named for the wild horses of Australia's Snowy River country.
Jo Ellen Doering, vocals & guitar
George Doering, vocals & mandolin
For more details on the brombies, go to the bios page.
Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Review, by BF
Bluegrass Now Magazine Article, by Yvonne Tatar
Joy Felt, Taste of Folk Music Coordinator BASC
Fred Rubin, Contributing writer for the Studio City Sun, The Sherman Oaks Sun, and the Encino Sun
Mike Tatar, Sr., Summergrass festival chair
President of "The Fallbrook Americana Music Series 2008"
By Fred Rubin
Contributing writer for the Studio City Sun, The Sherman Oaks Sun, and the Encino Sun
Admittedly I'm a simple guy. To me there's not much better in life than a cold beer, a spicy burrito, and some kick ass bluegrass. Luckily for me, and any other like-minded citizen of L.A., the best of all three can be obtained in one place: at Burbank's "Viva Fresh" Mexican Restaurant. Walking into this charming cafe across from the Equestrian Center you'd expect chilled brews and tortillas…but bluegrass? And the biggest surprise of all is how good that bluegrass music really is.
The 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month (and the occasional 5th Wed.) the stage at Viva Fresh is commanded by "The Brombies" a bluegrass quartet of such power and versatility it's amazing to find them this far from Nashville. But fortunately for Los Angeles we're a world center of movies and recording and that draws to our boundaries a caliber of star quality musicians. The personnel in the Brombies are sterling examples in that firmament.
The heart of the Brombies would seem to be their leader, George Doering, a man with a shock of long silver hair, who fronts the band with a tasteful and commanding presence. He is a legendary studio musician who can be heard picking on the soundtracks of dozens of movies, including three of my favorites: "American Beauty," "The Devil Wears Prada," and the recent cult hit, "Disturbia." His mandolin playing anchors the groups every tune, but his solos are remarkable, as when he cuts into a dizzying lead on the classic "Soldier's Joy." Here his musicianship really shines. And that's just one of a dozen stand-outs. His vocals are also strong and soulful, usually in duet with his wife Jo Ellen who along with George writes many of the bands original tunes.
If George is the heart of the group, Jo Ellen is the heartthrob. A lovely woman with a stately country presence who plays guitar, (rhythm mixed with crisp, clean, lead) and provides haunting vocal solos and tight, high-lonesome harmonies with the other band members. A pure professional, she has a polished and eclectic style. In an original gospel tune written by her and George, "We're Finding Our Way Back Home" Jo Ellen's sweet, soothing voice transports you to church on Sunday mornings, while George's waltzing mandolin rounds out the soulful prayer. Just as adept with a bluesy motif, Jo Ellen delivers another original tune, "I Call Him Honey", a saucy jug band style shuffle that delights the audience and shows Jo Ellen's playful side.
The "Flash" of the band, and the youngest member of the group, is banjo player Patrick Sauber. Sauber is as gifted a banjo player as I've ever heard, and the fact that he plays in several LA groups confirms his status. His picking seems effortless on such classics as "Flint Hill Special" and "Daybreak in Dixie." Here he barely breaks a sweat, yet as he races up and down the frets he provides the audience with those dazzling, foot stomping moments that demand not just applause but hoots and hollers. On "Rabbit in the Log" he plays so fast I was waiting for a fire marshal to show up. Patrick also contributes solid background vocals on many of the groups songs.
And if every band needs a backbone, that would have to be Bill Bryson whose bass playing, vocals and dry humor round out the band perfectly. Bryson is the kind of solid musician that immediately puts you at ease. Having played with The Bluegrass Cardinals, the Desert Rose Band, and the Laurel Canyon Ramblers, Bill has developed a stage manner that's natural and easy. He has a relaxed twinkle about him that lets you know there's fun to be had. His excellent songwriting skills shine through on his original song, "All Across Oklahoma", and when Patrick sings along with him on their exuberant rendition of "New River Train" you can feel their love for this music. Bill's hearty bass playing provides a backdrop for every song and his rich baritone voice rounds out the vocals with stellar quality.
All in all The Brombies is a super group: great musicianship, terrific song choices, relaxed, fun, and jam packed sets that go from 8:00 till 11:00 on those rowdy Wednesday nights. I've got ‘em locked in on my calendar for months to come. Come hear The Brombies at "Viva Fresh." You'll see me there smiling and tapping my feet. I'll pass you the nachos.
Mike Tatar, Sr.
Summergrass festival chair
Vista, California
Summergrass, in its endeavor to present a quality bluegrass festival, is always in search of bands and artists that connect with our audiences and have a spark in their on-stage performances. The Brombies have the talent and they put that spark into their live shows. For the past two years, this band has performed lively festival shows to packed audiences at Summergrass.
The Brombies include George Doering on mandolin & vocals, Jo Ellen on guitar & vocals, Bill Bryson on bass & vocals, and Patrick Sauber on banjo & vocals. Their Summergrass performances entertained us with a variety of material ranging from traditional bluegrass songs as well as performing their excellent original pieces. While their cover tunes are done in the traditional style on traditional instruments, their original songs often have a flare of their own. “Escondido,” written about George’s hometown, has a Mexican Mariachi flavor while somehow still remaining within the genre. Jo Ellen’s inspirational “Little Bitty Piece of God” is one of my favorites and was chosen to be performed at the 2005 IBMA’s Songwriter’s Showcase & at Merlefest in the Chris Austin song contest. For extra fun, they also include a couple of unusual and humorous original tunes in their shows, such as “The Barbecue Song,” to the delight of their fans. Also worth mentioning is Bill Bryson’s original song, “All Across Oklahoma”, a terrific tune written about the workers that built Route 66.
This band has an extraordinary amount of talent; and you can read about their impressive histories on their website. The Brombies are an excellent asset to the Southern California bluegrass community and we have enjoyed their music and performances in many venues around the state, including Summergrass .
The Brombies talent and expertise has defined them as an up-and-coming California band whose star is shining brightly.
Review from the President of “The Fallbrook Americana Music Series 2008”
I want to respond with my "take" on your concert of 4/19/08. I loved it. Thanks so much.
We start with the fact that I'm not really a bluegrass fan. Too much of it is “lickety-split, lets-get-it-all-in-here-fast-and-loud” music with a high nasal quality thrown in for good measure. It makes me think of some ironing I need to do or maybe vacuuming--anything else, please!! But, BG doesn't have to be that way. It's a wonderful musical genre and, in my opinion (not so humble) you guys handled it so perfectly. You played BG style with virtuosity. You delivered a program with variety, varied pace, a great deal of interest--in the bluegrass genre--and it was wonderful. It was a good show, well paced, kept the audience in mind. You were comfortable, had your own good time. You guys are good.
Thanks so much. Glad the $$ turned out good, too. Best, Phee