Bluegrass Playground
Omaha, Nebraska
Bluegrass Playground has been around the Omaha area since the 1980’s. Though it was inert for awhile, the band has re-gathered steam with new personnel in the last few years.
In 2005, Virginian Earl Witt, walked into banjo player Dan McElroy’s campsite at the Mo. Valley festival and immediately became the guitar player of the reformed group. Sharing a nomadic bluegrass lifestyle, Earl and Dan wandered to the regional festivals for a couple of years seeking and finding rare and exquisite bluegrass jam sessions in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
Along this road, they met a premier mandolinist/vocalist in 2006 who happened to be transitioing out of another fine, local bluegrass band. This Sutton, Nebraska lad goes by the name of Jim Eudy. As if things weren’t going good enough, Bluegrass Playground was blessed in 2007 when they acquired a solid Council Bluffs, Iowa doghouse bassman by the name of Gene Tompkins.
This group offers a controlled, yet sensual instrumentality, along with the meaty, Nebraska flavored vocals. Bluegrass Playground hopes that you’ll stop by and take a musical bite of their bluegrass smorgasbord.
About Bluegrass PlaygroundMembers
EARL WITT, GUITAR
Growing up in Altavista, in South Central Virginia, Earl started learning guitar at around age 5. His parents loved camping And bluegrass music so on weekends their family would travel to regional bluegrass festivals such as Camp Springs, N.C., Shady Valley Bluegrass Park, Va., and Nelson County, Va. Picking and singing bluegrass became a large part of his childhood. At the Nelson County Bluegrass Festival, he played on stage for the first time with the Tennessee Cutup Kids Bluegrass Band. Around age 10, he learned Josh Graves-style dobro, and in his mid teens, he played bass with 'The Last Day Singers', a southern gospel quartet. During that time, he began to play the pedal steel guitar. After attending community college for a couple years, he joined the U.S. Air Force And returned to his first love, bluegrass music. Stationed near Omaha, Ne. and now retired from the Military he lives in Bellevue, NE. Earl is an active and important element of the local bluegrass culture. He also seeks out and travels to regional bluegrass festivals in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska focusing on singing traditional bluegrass and jamming with his Martin D-18. You’ll often find him jamming with sidemen from traveling, professional bluegrass bands. He also goes back to Virginia. semi-regularly to pick with his dad at such festivals as Cabin Fever and Galax Va. In 'Bluegrass Playground', He sings lead, tenor, baritone and holds down a solid guitar rhythm.
DAN MCELROY, BANJO
A transplant to Nebraska , Dan was born in Georgia in 1952, and lived in east Tennessee for ten years. His love of bluegrass music was greatly influenced as a child by viewing weekly televised bluegrass on the ‘Cas
Walker Show’ from Knoxville. When his dad’s job transferred to Nebraska, his parents helped him to buy his first banjo and gave him lessons. After high school, the Army, and college, he became more serious about
bluegrass music. He formed a local band in 1978 called ‘Whole Wheat ’ . When that band was over, he did a lot playing and travelling in multiple states with singer and promoter Bob Everhart with his then new band
‘Bluegrass Playground’. During this time, they were often on the same billing with many bluegrass and country music stars, including Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, New Grass Revival, George Strait and more. He has also been of member of several bluegrass bands, including “Curly Ennis and the Roadrangers’ and the Kenestan Family band Having been a member of the Omaha musicians union now for more than 25 years, he has been a sideman for various bluegrass bands, has played banjo on local commercials, and has written an instrumental banjo theme song for a popular Iowa Public Television Music series. He has also had several very good reviews in Bluegrass UnlimitedMagazine for various LP and CD recording projects.
Over the years and to the present, he continues to attend bluegrass, festivals, combining camping and picking with his family which consist of two girls Cassie and Princess, his son Kelly, and his wife Tess. He
also owns a company which specializes in playground equipment .
JIM EUDY, MANDOLIN
Jim is a first generation Nebraskan "prairie dog" with deep family roots in Tennessee and Arkansas. Although he was raised on the Nebraska prairie, he grew up with a deep appreciation for old time , bluegrass, and country music due mainly the southern influence from his mom and dad's love of the music. Jim started playing guitar at the age of 15, and soon thereafter took over his dad's banjo.
In addition to music, Jim took an interest in science, and obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In between cloning genes, Jim got obsessed with music again, and learned to play mandolin. Currently, Jim thinks of his daytime job as a molecular geneticist, as
"A way to keep me in banjo strings".
Hobbies include stringed instruments, reading, "TheTravel Channel", and all things related to being outdoors.
EUGENE TOMPKINS, DOGHOUSE BASS
Gene was born in Omaha Ne. grew up in Council Bluffs Ia. He went into this Air Force from High School, 1 Yr. Mississippi, 2 Yrs. Germany and 1 Yr Vietnam. Gene always enjoyed music and singing from grade school and played in first contest in third grade (Accordion first place), choir later.
His parents listened to country music and once a month it seemed they had a band playing on our front porch, to the delight of the neighbors. Music playing for Gene was rekindled from neighbors who played fiddles
at about the time as Gene and Connies last child finished school. He also enjoys his guitar, singing country music and playing the bass with bluegrass music.
Festivals were always great to go to and he finally found enough nerve to get involved with singing and playing. He has jammed with most local bluegrassers over the years. He joined the Country Roads band for a while, and now plays with the new Bluegrass Playground band.
Great Plains Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association Omaha, Nebraska
For More information and booking contact:
Dan McElroy dm84039@alltel.net (402)968-7529
or
Earl Witt earlwitt@cox.net
