The Florida Bluegrass Express

Keith Bass - Banjo

Keith Bass is well known around the state of Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina for his clean hard driving style of banjo. He started learning to play the guitar at the age of twelve and the banjo at the age of thirteen; he begin playing festivals and private venues at the age of eighteen. He played several years with the seven times Florida State Champion bluegrass band, “The Prospectors” which also competed at SPGMA in the early 90’s.

Keith has won several Florida State banjo competitions. He also took first place in the North Carolina banjo competition with band (The Prospectors) also winning first place. Keith sings lead and plays banjo on “Just the Beginning”, “Making Tracks”, “Headed for the Light” and “Yesterday’s Gone” with the Florida Bluegrass Express. Keith then went into the studio and recorded his first banjo CD project “Breakin It Down”. Keith also recorded 4 projects with the Prospectors: “The Prospectors ‘95’”, “Another Time”, “Back to the Cross” and “Live at Carl Allen’s”.

Keith has recorded two projects with the Tomorrow’s News band: “Peace in the Time of Trouble” and “Becky and Billy”. Keith and his wife Darlene (manager of Florida Bluegrass Express) have started promoting two Florida Bluegrass Festivals: Yee Haw Junction Bluegrass Festival in Yee Haw Junction, FL and the Bluegrass Family Gathering in Arcadia, FL.

Jason Baker - Fiddle

Jason Baker started playing music at a young age -- singing Gospel in church and in a musical family gathered around a piano for all the holidays. He started learning piano watching his Dad and three Aunts play at the age of 8. He knew then that he wanted to make music his life; however, it wouldn’t be until age 17 that he would find his musical voice and passion -- the fiddle.

This is the second time that Jason has performed with the Florida Bluegrass Express. He spent two years with the band before moving to Pigeon Forge, TN to work for Elwood Smooche’s Ole Smoky Hoedown, Country Tonite Theatre, and others. After spending four years working in East Tennessee, He moved to Maggie Valley, NC to work for Ghost Town In The Sky until their Bankruptcy at the end of the “09 Season.

Now, Jason has returned to his home in Florida to pursue his college education and is proud to be once again apart of the Florida Bluegrass Express.

Clint Dockery - Mandolin

Clint Dockery is a master musician whose incredible mandolin playing and unique vocals have graced the sound of many bluegrass bands, from Little Bits of Bluegrass to The Bits of Grass, as well as Cypress Creek. He has also appeared with Mark Johnson, Bobby Hicks, Vassar Clements Wyatt Rice Kenny Baker and Josh Grave’s just to name a few. A product of a musical family Clint started out playing the mandolin at the age of 7 years old, then he went to the fiddle, guitar, bass, resophonic guitar etc.

Shane Stewart is a soul felt singer from the northern part of Florida. He is classically trained on the trumpet having studied music all through school, but in high school was pulled to the sound of Bill Monroe and the Osborne Brothers harmony. He then traded his brass instruments for a mandolin and after a short while formed his first bluegrass band The Grasscutters. From there he has been studying guitar and playing with Florida regional bands Bluegrass Heritage, Gilbert Hancock and The Bits of Grass, The Bits of Grass, and his own band Current Configuration. He has also fronted the acclaimed Canadian band Hard Ryde for a spell. Shane's pure joy in playing music is evidenced by his musical creativity with FBE but he also spreads that joy by teaching and encouraging others to play. When not playing with FBE, Shane enjoys playing music with his many friends and serves as the event coordinator for the North Florida Bluegrass Association. He also enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, woodworking, and all of his farm animals.

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