by Jeff Achen
Thisweek Newspapers

Dunn Brothers coffee house on Galaxie Avenue in Apple Valley swelled with people on Friday, Jan. 13 to help celebrate the release of one local band's first CD.

Long Time Gone, a group of four bluegrass musicians from Apple Valley, Eagan and Burnsville, has been playing together since 2000 in Katryn Conlin and Ben Manning's Apple Valley living room. Their first CD release "Leavin' Home,î features 14 songs with Golden Era classics from Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and Flatt & Scruggs.

Meet the band

Conlin plays sting bass and Manning plays guitar. Jeff Kinnell of Eagan plays fiddle and Leo Rosenstein of Burnsville plays mandolin. With the exception of Conlin, all have been playing acoustic since they were teenagers. Conlin started in her mid-30s. All have played in working bands.

Conlin and Manning are married and met at Homestead Pickin' Parlor in
Richfield, bluegrass central she says. She said she can't recall where exactly she met Jeff and Leo, but says that's the nature of bluegrass music.

Musicians often meet after playing together at the musical equivalent of pickup games at bluegrass festivals or the Homestead Pickin' Parlor.

"What goes on in this kind of music is a lot of jamming. People who just get together to play and have a lot of fun. [Long Time Gone] gradually jelled into becoming a band,î Conlin said. "We didn't start off saying let's form a band.î

Conlin admits a certain level of pride in their homegrown character, something she said has gone into their CD.

"It is a milestone,î she said, "but our attitude stays pretty relaxed.î

"The finished album contains some of our favorites done just the way you'd hear them in a live performance. No frills, no fancy effects, no overdubs, just our band playing the tunes we love,î Manning said.

Conlin said they're trying not to let the release of a CD change their attitude. Kinnell says he's not interested in making the band feel like a lot of work. He played professionally in the 1970s, but shut his guitar case for 17 years after getting burned out.

A few years ago he got a bonus at work and decided to buy a bunch of guitars. Now, he says, it's just for fun.

Jamming

Conlin will tell you bluegrass music is all about jamming.

"We don't rehearse, we jam.î

But, just what is jamming?

"Bluegrass is like a universal language. Being able to know and play these standards anywhere with other bluegrass players, that's jamming,î Conlin said.

Bluegrass is music from the 1940s, 50s and early 60s. Conlin said Long Time Gone doesn't play original material, but that doesn't mean it's not artistic or spontaneous.

"Even though they're covers there's a tremendous amount of originality to it,î she said.

When playing bluegrass tunes, Conlin said musicians are all playing a familiar song, but take turns playing solos and improvising.

"Sometimes people crash and burn and sometimes it's amazing,î she said. "It's riskier than playing music off sheet music or music you memorize.î

For the musicians of Long Time Gone, that's just how they like it. For more information visit their Web site at www.longtimegoneband.com.

Jeff Achen can be reached at av.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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