For the love of bluegrass
By Michael Johnson, Editor
It’s been 10 years since the local band Cotton Wood decided to get together. In music years, that’s a long time. Few things keep a group of people together like the steady sounds from four bluegrass instruments in harmony. That’s what has kept Jill Wiese, Keith Koch, Dan Foster and Lee Benjamin together for 10 years of musical bliss … or something like that. On Sunday night, the group came together for their first practice of 2011 before their big gig of the year, the Bluegrass Blizzard Weekend. The "Blizzard," as it has sorely been named, is in its sixth year. The first three years were sellouts with the band Blue Moon Rising causing quite an attraction to the area. The last two years have made Cotton Wood bassist, Wiese, regret the name. "I’m not proud of that name," Wiese said. A blizzard has plagued Bismarck those years and cut back on much of the traffic. This year, the group is crossing their callused fingers and hoping to have better weather.
To view a video of the band practicing before the big event click here.
