Four people had a similar dream just over four years ago during a gospel jam session at a local church. Soon these three neighbors and a new acquaintance realized they all had something in common, the love of bluegrass and gospel music. The group played its first organized event just a few short weeks after their first practice. The selection was limited, the mistakes were many, but the love of traditional bluegrass and gospel music overshadowed the imperfections. It was at this point these four people became known as Summit Grass. The name was coined after the community of Holts Summit where everyone lived except for one who actually lived below the bridge (no, he was and is not a Troll) in Jefferson City. For a short period of time, these four people shared their talent with anyone who was willing to listen. Then as destiny would have it, the original bass player was unable to continue the journey down the road. Because of her love of music and the fact she was always hanging around, the newest member (married to the mandolin player and first roadie) of Summit Grass was hired or should I say, drafted to play the “dawg house” bass. This was the first major change to our close-knit group. Armed with only piano in her instrument repertoire and no stringed instrument experience, she soon became the heartbeat of Summit Grass.
We played mostly for food (definitely not a bad thing) at anniversaries, birthdays, festivals and local church functions. We felt truly blessed that we could use the talent the good Lord gave us to make people smile. We played these venues as often as possible and as luck would have it, we got our first paying gig at a family reunion. We were fed and paid both. You cannot imagine the excitement of dividing that two dollar bill between us. Then again, if you play bluegrass, maybe you can.
From that first family reunion about four years ago until March of 2009, the four of us shared the road and music that made Summit Grass a part of the bluegrass landscape in Missouri. With Dale Wilkes on banjo, Mike Gerling on guitar, Vicki Hutson on bass, and Ed Hutson on mandolin, Summit Grass shared their songs and love of bluegrass music. It was in March of this year that Mike decided it was time to move on from Summit Grass to make room for new journeys in his life. The birth of his first grandchild, a handsome baby boy, and the upcoming wedding of another daughter led Mike down another of life’s roads. His leaving left a hole in Summit Grass and our hearts. We are so grateful and thankful for our time together. And, now, we write another verse in the music of Summit Grass.
In April 2009, Summit Grass enlisted the talents of Diane Franklin. Diane brought a new, diverse, multi-talented dimension to the group. With her early experience with a variety of music, she honed skills over the years that fit the traditional bluegrass role of Summit Grass. She primarily plays rhythm guitar and provides lead and harmony vocals for the band. BUT, lookout, she can also strap on the banjo and have you clogging in the aisles to Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Her diversity in instruments, style and genre, keeps Summit Grass grounded in traditional bluegrass music, but if you listen closely, you may hear your small town mentioned in one of her more traditional country tunes. We look forward to the coming months and years. It is our wish that in some small way our music will touch your lives and hearts and create a memory that will live on forever. And, if I can coin a phrase from the late, great Red Skelton, “Good night and may God Bless.”
"Traditional, hard-driving Missouri bluegrass at its best"
Summit Grass
Ed & Vicki Hutson
(573) 893-3533
hutsoe@aol.com
Dale Wilkes
(573) 694-9747
dales2loud@aol.com
Diane Franklin
(573) 999-2912
golfchick61@yahoo.com
Since 2005, Summit Grass has delighted Missouri audiences with foot-stompin' high energy bluegrass and gospel music. Their first album, BLADES OF BLUEGRASS was well received and recently the band headed back to the studio to record more fan favorites. Their second CD, CROSSROADS has just been released and is available at performances or can be ordered through contact information on this page . Summit Grass is available for festivals, community events, church programs, and private events.
DALE WILKES – Banjo player, lead and harmony vocals. One of the original founding members of Summit Grass, Dale steps up and becomes the voice for Summit Grass. Influences in his life are the great Earl Scruggs. However, to omit Don Reno from the list of influences in his life would be unimaginable. His hard driving banjo keeps the crowd on the edge of their seats and evokes long and loud laugher from stories straight out of Crocker, MO, the “Pearl of Pulaski County”.
ED HUTSON– Mandolin, guitar, lead and harmony vocals. The other remaining original member of Summit Grass provides the distinctive mandolin chop and lead vocals to the band’s music. He truly enjoys the traditional sounds of bluegrass and gospel, but to single out one specific influence in his life would not be feasible. When looking at the different musicians throughout history, Charlie Waller will roll off his tongue when talking about great ballads and the music that he loved from the time he was young. But when asked, he will more than readily tell you that Mike Andes and Bobby Clark are his modern day heroes.
VICKI HUTSON – Bass, lead and harmony vocals. Vicki is the person responsible for the name of the band, the look of the band, the financial advisor, the organizer, and most importantly, the Heartbeat of Summit Grass. She has the most difficult job of all, keeping the rest of us on time and in rhythm. Then on top of this, she steps up to the microphone and provides beautiful lead vocals to the music of Summit Grass. Until three to four years ago, Vicki had no experience with stringed instruments. Although an accomplished pianist, there was no one in the band who could carry it, so she decided to play the dawg house bass. She has more than met the challenges from jams to stage appearances at SPBGMA events.
DIANE FRANKLIN – Guitar, mandolin, lead and harmony vocals. Diane is the newest member of Summit Grass. She began playing guitar and singing in her church at a very young age. Throughout her teen years, she played bass and played in a local band at the Lake of the Ozarks under the name of “The Friends Band”. She has been choir director at church and the organist (by default – no one else would do it). Diane sings lead or harmony and plays the guitar, banjo, mandolin and bass – another dimension to Summit Grass.
