GARY WRIGHT & LEAH WEISS play roots-Americana music. Drawing from the traditions of Appalachian old-time and country music, their repertoire is a blend of originals, reinvented traditional songs and tunes, and innovative contemporary covers. Driving fiddle lines and tight harmony singing are trademarks of their sound.
Gary Wright & Leah Weiss perform as an acoustic duo as well as in various bands.
With Al Tharp (formerly of BeauSoleil, Freewill Savages,and Plank Road Stringband) on clawhammer banjo, bass, and fiddle, they perform as Run Mountain.
In their Annapolis-based Gary Wright-Leah Weiss Band, they are joined by drummer and vocalist Tom Fridrich (of The Remnants, Doug Segree, and Dean Rosenthal) and bassist Jeff Muller (of Karl Straub Combo, Nadine Rae & the Rich Chorne All Stars, and Meg Murray). They perform regularly at 49 West Coffeehouse and have created the "With Friends" series there, which explores musical common ground with other fine players. Featured performers in the series have included Ruben Dobbs, June Drucker, James Leva, Steve Lowe, Jenn Reichwein, Pete Reichwein, Dean Rosenthal, Mark Schatz, Karl Straub, Al Tharp, and Jordan Tice.
As The Basement Band, Annapolis blues-roots-rocker Dean Rosenthal joins forces with the Gary Wright-Leah Weiss Band to perform the music of Bob Dylan and The Band. The result is a powerful presentation of classic and inventive covers of some of the best songs written in this era. The Basement Band debuted in April 2006 to critical acclaim.
When the Gary Wright-Leah Weiss Band plays more traditional country music, they perform as Cadillac Mule.
Gary and Leah play traditional old-time music for square- and contra-dances throughout the greater D.C. and Baltimore region. They often play with Kate Brett (banjo) and Kevin Enoch (bass) as well as with other area musicians.
They are seasoned and versatile performers who have played for and appeal to a range of crowds -- from intimate settings such as house concerts and weddings, to barn dances, to clubs and festival stages. For a list of Gary and Leah's selected appearances, click here.
>> Gary grew up playing electric guitar in rock and country bands and started delving into traditional music -- including old-time fiddle music and West African guitar styles -- in the early 1980s. For nearly ten years, Gary was a member of The Hix, a band that was described by the Philadelphia Music Press as: "They sound like Doc Boggs meets David Byrne on the way to Lou Reed's House." He performed as lead guitarist with the Lejeune Jones Band and the Jennie Stearns Band, and toured with James Leva and Memory Theatre.
>> Leah has a rhythmic fiddle style that is rooted in old-time Appalachian music. For nearly 15 years, in addition to playing for square- and contra-dances, she performed with The Poodles, a Boston-based band whose last recording, "Unleashed," won an honorable mention in the "best string" category at the 1994 NAIRD Indie awards. For two years, she performed with The Hix. Leah's first musical passion was for Balkan and eastern European traditional styles, and for several years she performed traditional Hungarian tanchaz music on three-stringed kontra-viola with The Pulis and with violinist Beth Cohen.
With five recordings and countless festivals and concerts between them, Gary and Leah started songwriting and performing as a duo in 2001. The Wright-Weiss band debuted in 2004. Their first CD together, Down this Road, was released in November 2003.
>>Newsflashes!
Aug 2005 -- Listen to Leah on NPR! She expounds on the wonders of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in a segment of the show "Day to Day" Check out the August 5th show by clicking here! She leads off and ends the story.
Oct 2004 -- You can now listen to sound bites off of our CD by clicking on CD Baby.
Aug 2004 -- Gary & Leah won third place in the Traditional Band contest -- playing with their old bandmates from The Hix -- at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia.
