Sam Grisman is a bassist and bandleader at the helm of a commanding improvisational ensemble performing live acoustic music in the tradition shaped by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.
He grew up in Mill Valley, California in a home where some of the great acoustic music of our time was regularly being recorded. His father, legendary mandolinist, composer, and producer David Grisman, often hosted friends at his home studio for recording sessions and rehearsals. These friends, including Doc Watson, Jerry Garcia, John Hartford, Mike Seeger, and Tony Rice, left a lasting impression and inspired him to pursue a life making music with his many talented friends.
The band’s shows create a space where the band and audience share in a deep love and reverence for the great music and musicians who continue to inspire them.
The friends who make up Sam Grisman Project are a rotating cadre of acousticians who are among the brightest individual voices on their respective instruments. Members of this rotating cast include guitarists Max Flansburg, Logan Ledger, Sam Leslie, Henry Moser, Jesse Harper, and Jefferson Hamer; mandolinists Dominick Leslie, Joe K. Walsh, Matt Flinner, and Jesse Appelman; clawhammer banjo maestro Victor Furtado; fiddlers John Mailander, Alex Hargreaves, Nate Leath, Shad Cobb, and Phoebe Hunt; cellist Nat Smith; and Todd Livingston on the Dobro.
The band also frequently collaborates with legendary singer, songwriter, and bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan, a deeply meaningful connection that ties directly back to David Grisman and the Old and In the Way legacy. Over the years Sam Grisman Project has welcomed a wide range of spontaneous and exciting guests including David Grisman, John Sebastian, Tim O’Brien, Billy Strings, Maria Muldaur, Margo Price, and many more.
This ever-evolving collective of exceptional humans who happen to be incredible musicians reflects the abundance of joy and wealth of experiences that growing up around this timeless music brought into Sam’s life. Sam Grisman Project is committed to putting their love, gratitude, and individuality into the music they share on stage each night, and to participating in the community effort of preserving, expanding, and appreciating great American acoustic music.
To preserve the sonic integrity of their instruments and voices, SGP performs acoustic music into condenser microphones. The sound on stage is fully acoustic and sensitive, so audiences are kindly asked to save conversations for before and after the show or during the set break. Thanks for coming, thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy the music.