Charles Sawtelle

Charles Sawtelle
Born (1946-09-20)September 20, 1946
Austin, Texas, United States[1]
Died March 20, 1999(1999-03-20) (aged 52)
Genres Bluegrass music
Occupation(s) Vocalist, guitarist, record producer
Instruments Guitar, bass
Years active 1976–1999
Labels Flying Fish, Sugar Hill, Acoustic Disc
Associated acts The Rambling Drifters, Monroe Doctrine, Hot Rize, Red Knuckles and the Trail Blazers, Charles Sawtelle and the Whippets
Notable instruments
1937 Martin D-28[2]

Charles Sawtelle (September 20, 1946 — March 20, 1999) was a bluegrass musician and a member of the band Hot Rize. Sawtelle died on March 20, 1999 from leukaemia.[3]

Biography

A guitar player and vocalist, Sawtelle was one of the original members of Hot Rize. He also played the character Slade in the band's alter ego Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers).[4]

Sawtelle was born in Austin, Texas, but he grew up in Colorado.[1] Before Hot Rize, Sawtelle was a member of the bands the Rambling Drifters (along with Tim O'Brien and Pete Wernick)[5] and Monroe Doctrine.[6]

In Hot Rize, Sawtelle played the bass until he replaced Mike Scap on guitar. Sawtelle also worked behind the scenes to ensure Hot Rize maintained a professional demeanor.[7]

After the members of Hot Rize went their separate ways in 1990, Sawtelle formed the band Charles Sawtelle and the Whippets, including Fred Zipp (mandolin, vocals), Jim-Bob Runnels (banjo), and Dan Mitchell (string bass, vocals)[8]. Sawtelle also performed and recorded with Peter Rowan.[3]

Sawtelle recorded his one solo album Music From Rancho deVille while he battled the leukemia that led to hius death. His friend Laurie Lewis co-produced the album, and ensured its posthumous release.[9] Besides Lewis, the album features Michael Doucet and Vassar Clements (fiddles), Todd Phillips (bass), Flaco Jiménez (accordion), Jerry Douglas and Norman Blake (guitars), David Grisman, Sam Bush, and Tom Rozum (mandolins), and, from Hot Rize, Nick Forster, Pete Wernick, and Tim O'Brien.[4]

Sawtelle operated the Rancho Deville Recording Studio in Denver, and it remains in operation today as the Sawtelle Recording Studio.[10]

After Sawtelle's death, flatpicking guitarist Bryan Sutton joined Hot Rize for their return to performance, touring, and recording.[7][5]

Discography

Solo albums

As a member of Hot Rize

As producer

Also appears on

References

  1. 1 2 Sicliano, Lisa (2012-05-25). "Hot Rize dedicates Chautauqua bench to Charles Sawtelle". Marquee Mag. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  2. ↑ Verlinde, Jason (December 1, 2010). "Chris Eldridge Plays Charles Sawtelle’s Martin D-28". Fretboard Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Prytherch, John (May 1, 1999). "Charles Sawtelle, Guitarist. 1947 - 1999". North West Bluegrass News. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Richardson, Derk (August 28, 2007). "Charles Sawtelle: Music from Rancho DeVille". Yoga Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Murphy, Tom (September 24, 2014). "The Return of Colorado's Bluegrass Kings". Westworld. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  6. ↑ Glen Giffin. "Colorado lost its share of notables in the arts during 1999". Denver Post. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Lehndorff, John (September 1, 2010). "On The Rize – Landmark Bluegrass Band Still Hot After All These Years". Bluegrass Unlimited. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ Wadey, Paul (March 28, 1999). "Obituary: Charles Sawtelle". The Independent. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. ↑ Hill, David (April 30, 2001). "Charles Sawtelle - Music From Rancho deVille". No Depression. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Sawtelle Recording Studio". Swallow Hill Music. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.