IAN PORTEOUS STRINGBAND
The Ian Porteous Stringband has been a gleam in Ian’s eye ever since he made a pilgrimage to Nashville to meet and hang-out with the legendary John Hartford. Years later, in 2005, Ian started to assemble his dream band in order to share Hartford’s great spirit and tradition with Edmonton-area audiences.
Considered by many to be one of the most active acoustic string bands in the Edmonton area, The Stringband has kept its act tight by playing at the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market on most Saturdays. Fun loving and always ready for a tune, The Stringband focuses on music recorded by Flatt and Scruggs, Jim and Jesse, Jerry Garcia and, of course, John Hartford. But, not bound entirely by the past, the band also performs many of their own original tunes and songs, as well as other popular music from recent decades.
The Stringband consists of Ian Porteous (banjo and vocals); Gord Oaks (guitar and vocals); Dallas Petry (stand-up bass and vocals); and Braden Gates (fiddle).
With driving instrumentals, strong harmonies, and high spirits their talents combine to produce old time and bluegrass music as it’s meant to sound … energetic, raw and acoustic.
“Ian, thank you so much for playing at the East Coulee Spring Festival. Your talent and focus are amazing, and your music called out the many vagaries of life: lightness, humour and joy, the urge to roam the wilds, the woodstove fires of home, wordless pathos and longing, and everything in between. It was an honour to have you at SpringFest.”
The IGP STRINGBAND also teaches music camps and weekend retreats for Guitar, Banjo and Fiddle.
