Twisted Pine is a four-piece Americana band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The Boston Globe called them “boundary jumpers akin to outfits like Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek, and Crooked Still.” National Public Radio described the sound as “an upbeat, poppy vibe; energetic, driving rhythms; virtuosic solos; tight harmonies. This is definitely a band to watch.” American Songwriter called Twisted Pine "some kind of bluegrass, indie folk-and-funk concoction." With a 2020 full-length release Right Now, Twisted Pine has continued to expand across genres. "Twisted Pine’s rendition of Father John Misty's 'Well, You Can Do It Without Me' is built around a slinky bass line and a chugging mandolin groove," wrote WBUR, Boston's public radio station. "Spare and propulsive, it’s a showcase for the band’s newest member, flutist Anh Phung — and an example of the group’s metamorphosing sound, which they debut on their sophomore album."
History
Twisted Pine developed its early, bluegrass sound in a year-long residency at the Cambridge, Massachusetts bar, The Cantab, which has a longstanding Tuesday bluegrass scene. That summer, 2014, Twisted Pine took Best Band at MASS MoCA’s Fresh Grass Bluegrass Festival in North Adams, Massachusetts, and the same prize at the traditional Thomas Point Bluegrass Special outside Portland, Maine. Twisted Pine signed to the label Signature Sounds Recordings. In 2018, Twisted Pine was named Americana Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards. Since then Twisted Pine has shapeshifted, influenced by its members’ histories and interests.
Members
Kathleen Parks
Kathleen Parks, grew up in Newburgh, NY. She studied Classical and Irish music and Irish step dancing from childhood into her teens. Her father was lead trumpet and leader of the Jazz Knights at West Point and played with the internationally touring polka band, The Jimmy Sturr Orchestra. Parks played shows with TJSO. She studied songwriting and violin performance at Berklee College of Music. She now plays bluegrass, Irish, Old Time, country blues, funk and contemporary string music. Her songwriting is influenced by pop music of the 60s and 70s, and by performers Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Strength in Numbers, Harry Nilsson, and Judy Garland. Her influences in contemporary string music are Darol Anger, Casey Driessen, and Eileen Ivers.
Dan Bui
Dan Bui grew up in Houston, Texas. Bui, who is Vietnamese-American, grew up taking classical piano and violin lessons. One night, he discovered the mandolin when he saw NewGrass player Sam Bush on a PBS television show. In 2010, he moved to Boston and became immersed in the acoustic music community there. He studied Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music, where he and Parks met. Bui’s influences include progressive bluegrass, old-time music, jazz, funk, and soul.
Chris Sartori
Chris Sartori grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. He plays a wide variety of music including Jazz, Funk, Jam, Bluegrass, and Soul. He has always been interested in the cross section between bluegrass/americana and funk R&B and jazz. In high school he played electric bass in a free improv/ jam band. He attended the University of Massachusetts to study jazz bass, where he learned to play upright bass, and stayed busy playing in various funk and jazz ensembles, as well as a bluegrass band. His bass playing is inspired by heavily improvised music. He joined Twisted Pine in 2015.
Anh Phung
Anh Phung, on flute, joined Twisted Pine in 2019. Phung was born in Dagenham, England, and raised in Chilliwack, British Columbia. She grew up playing Classical music, then joined a rock band in high school, went to jazz school. She now plays a wide range of genres including folk traditions, hip hop, rhythm & blues, soul, and electronic music. Her particular interests include emulating the mandolin or fiddle chop from the bluegrass genre on the flute. Phung studied at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and jazz performance at McGill University in Montreal.
Past Members
Twisted Pine’s past members are Rachel Sumner, Ricky Mier, and Adam Moore.
