Hot Rize is an American bluegrass band that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. Established in 1978, Hot Rize has appeared on national

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

and TV shows, and has toured most of the United States, as well as Japan, Europe and Australia.

History

Hot Rize started performing January 18, 1978, with Tim O'Brien on

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

and

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

Pete Wernick Pete Wernick (born February 25, 1946), also known as "Dr. Banjo", is an American musician. He is a five-string banjo player in the bluegrass music scene since the 1960s, founder of the Country Cooking and Hot Rize bands, Grammy nominee and educat ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...

, Charles Sawtelle on bass and Mike Scap on guitar. Scap left the band with Nick Forster (electric bass) joining in April, thereby allowing Sawtelle to switch to acoustic guitar. That established the four-man line-up that lasted over 20 years: O'Brien on mandolin, fiddle and lead vocals, Forster on electric bass, harmony vocals, and emcee work, Sawtelle, on guitar and occasional lead vocals, and Wernick as "Dr. Banjo". Their first, self-titled album was recorded in 1979 with follow-up ''Radio Boogie'', released in 1981. The band issued six studio albums before disbanding in 1990. That year they received the first Entertainer of the Year Award issued by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The following year, their album ''Take It Home'' received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nomination, and a song from the album, "Colleen Malone", won Song of the Year from the IBMA. From 1991–98, the band played several reunion dates each year. Following the death in 1999 of Charles Sawtelle, Hot Rize re-grouped in 2002, adding

Bryan Sutton James Bryan Sutton (born 1973) is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs. Biography Early career Sutton's gr ...

to play the guitar. In 2014, Hot Rize released its first studio album with Sutton, ''When I'm Free'', on Ten in Hand Records, and set out on their first major tour in over 20 years in support of the record. When touring, Hot Rize often incorporates a performance as a

Western swing Western swing, country jazz or smooth country is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which att ...

band called Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers.

Origin of the band name

The band takes its name from the leavening ingredient found in Martha White flour and cornmeal products. Hot Rize often performs the theme song to the now defunct "Martha White Biscuit and Cornbread Time", a radio show in the late 1950s and early 1960s on Nashville station WSM featuring

Flatt and Scruggs Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Scr ...

Discography

Studio albums: *''

Hot Rize Hot Rize is an American bluegrass music, bluegrass band that rose to prominence in the early 1980s. Established in 1978, Hot Rize has appeared on national radio and TV shows, and has toured most of the United States, as well as Japan, Europe an ...

'' (1979) *'' Radio Boogie'' (1981) *''

The French Way The French Way (, , ) follows the GR 65 and is the most popular of the routes of the Way of St. James (), the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of th ...

'' (as Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers, 1984) *'' Traditional Ties'' (1986) *'' Untold Stories'' (1987) *'' Shades Of The Past'' (as Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers, 1988) *'' Take It Home'' (1990) *''

When I'm Free ''When I'm Free'' is the seventh studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun. The album was released in 2015 with both a Standard Edition (10 tracks) and a Deluxe Edition (12 tracks). Track listing All songs written by Ane Brun, except ...

'' (2014) Live albums: *''So Long of a Journey'' (2002, recorded 1996) *''Hot Rize/Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers Live — In Concert'' (1982) *''Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash (2018)''

References

External links

*
Dr. Banjo
Pete Wernick official website *
eTown
radio program by Nick Forster * * * {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups from Colorado American bluegrass music groups Sugar Hill Records artists Flying Fish Records artists

History

Origin of the band name

Discography

See also

References

External links