The Dappled Grays

Current members

Leah Calvert - fiddle and vocals

Casey Cook - guitar and vocals

Michael Smith - mandolin and vocals

Greg Earnest - banjo

Keith Morris - acoustic bass and vocals

History

The Dappled Grays was founded by Mandolinist Michael Smith and guitarist Casey Cook in 1999 as an outlet for performing original instrumental music. Through time the band developed strong song writing and vocal skills and released their first album In the Gait with a high degree of local success.

In 2005 the band was reconfigured with its current lineup. This brought the vocal talents of Leah Calvert which helped to mold the band into a new musical direction. In addition, banjoist Greg Earnest and bassist Keith Morris were added to complete the lineup.

In January 2007, the band released its second album Doin' My Job. The album has had a great deal of national success with the album's title cut making it to No. 12 on the national Bluegrass Music charts.

The Dappled Grays have had many accomplishments since its formation including being named Best Bluegrass Band in Atlanta by Creative Loafing magazine and being featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine as well as having several original songs played on MTV. They have also had the opportunity to share the stage with some of the biggest names in acoustic music, including the Del McCoury Band, Mountain Heart, Ronnie Bowman, Larry Cordle, and David Grier.

In 2012, The Dappled Grays appeared in the movie Trouble with the Curve directed by Robert Lorenz and starring Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams. The band appeared as the stage band of a scene with cloggers filmed at The Globe on Clayton Street in downtown Athens, Georgia. In this scene, the band can be seen performing two songs - "The Long Waltz Home" written by Casey Cook and the traditional tune Cotton-Eyed Joe arranged by the band.

Awards and recognitions

Best Bluegrass Band in Atlanta - Creative Loafing

Filmography

"Trouble with the Curve", 2012

Discography

In The Gait, 1999 - Band Ranch Records Doin' My Job, 2007 - Band Ranch Records