Post by philly on Aug 23, 2012 11:40:18 GMT -5
Alison Krauss & Union Station a labor of love for Dan Tyminski
By Randall G. Mielke August 22, 2012 4:38PM
Guitarist, mandolin player and vocalist Dan Tyminski has won 14 Grammy awards as a solo performer and while performing as part of Alison Krauss & Union Station. His most recent Grammy win was for Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “Paper Airplane,” which won best bluegrass album at the 2012 Grammy Award ceremonies. But for Tyminski, the accumulation of trophies is secondary to why he performs.
“I feel I was born to play music,” Tyminski said, “but not in the hopes of having the biggest collection of hardware. I do what I do because it is my talent and the joy it brings people.
“At times, some have been in a trophy case,” said Tyminski of his Grammy collection. “They are amazing things to have, and I can only speak for myself, but to have those awards is not why I play music. Personally, if you have them on display, they become too much of a focal point. And that is not a true perspective on why I do this.”
Alison Krauss & Union Station will perform on Aug. 26 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. They have performed together for more than 25 years.
“Union Station was in existence before Alison performed with them,” Tyminski said. Tyminski joined the group in 1994.
In addition to Krauss on lead vocal and fiddle, and Tyminski on guitar, mandolin and lead vocal, the band consists of Jerry Douglas (Dobro resonator guitar, lap steel guitar, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar) and Barry Bales (bass, vocals).
Krauss signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album, “Too Late To Cry,” in 1987. She was invited to join Union Station, and later released her first album with them as a group, entitled “Two Highways,” in 1989. “Paper Airplane” is Alison Krauss & Union Station’s first album since 2004’s “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” which won a Grammy for best country album in 2005.
Although primarily known as an all-acoustic, bluegrass-oriented band, Alison Krauss & Union Station has successfully crossed over to audiences in pop, country and other types of music.
“I think we have a wide appeal because we are in different genres,” said Tyminski of the group’s fan base. “Our appeal branches far outside of bluegrass music. People are sometimes introduced to bluegrass music through us.”
Although all the band members take on solo projects, do session work and record film soundtracks, their main focus is Union Station.
“Union Station is the primary thing that we do,” Tyminski said. “We set our U.S. tour and recording schedule, then we do other things around that. There is no template that we follow, but we typically plan six months to a year ahead.”
And Tyminski gets satisfaction out of both touring and recording.
“When you are the road touring, you dream about recording,” he said. “When you are recording, you dream about touring. It’s a thrill to see that what you’ve come up with in the studio and that people accept it. But when you are playing every night, and people respond to that, that’s satisfying. There is a sense of satisfaction in each one: the record that will be around forever and the playing live for the moment of electricity with the audience that you cannot get in the studio.”
www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/14641830-421/alison-krauss-union-station-a-labor-of-love-for-dan-tyminski.html
By Randall G. Mielke August 22, 2012 4:38PM
Guitarist, mandolin player and vocalist Dan Tyminski has won 14 Grammy awards as a solo performer and while performing as part of Alison Krauss & Union Station. His most recent Grammy win was for Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “Paper Airplane,” which won best bluegrass album at the 2012 Grammy Award ceremonies. But for Tyminski, the accumulation of trophies is secondary to why he performs.
“I feel I was born to play music,” Tyminski said, “but not in the hopes of having the biggest collection of hardware. I do what I do because it is my talent and the joy it brings people.
“At times, some have been in a trophy case,” said Tyminski of his Grammy collection. “They are amazing things to have, and I can only speak for myself, but to have those awards is not why I play music. Personally, if you have them on display, they become too much of a focal point. And that is not a true perspective on why I do this.”
Alison Krauss & Union Station will perform on Aug. 26 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. They have performed together for more than 25 years.
“Union Station was in existence before Alison performed with them,” Tyminski said. Tyminski joined the group in 1994.
In addition to Krauss on lead vocal and fiddle, and Tyminski on guitar, mandolin and lead vocal, the band consists of Jerry Douglas (Dobro resonator guitar, lap steel guitar, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar) and Barry Bales (bass, vocals).
Krauss signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album, “Too Late To Cry,” in 1987. She was invited to join Union Station, and later released her first album with them as a group, entitled “Two Highways,” in 1989. “Paper Airplane” is Alison Krauss & Union Station’s first album since 2004’s “Lonely Runs Both Ways,” which won a Grammy for best country album in 2005.
Although primarily known as an all-acoustic, bluegrass-oriented band, Alison Krauss & Union Station has successfully crossed over to audiences in pop, country and other types of music.
“I think we have a wide appeal because we are in different genres,” said Tyminski of the group’s fan base. “Our appeal branches far outside of bluegrass music. People are sometimes introduced to bluegrass music through us.”
Although all the band members take on solo projects, do session work and record film soundtracks, their main focus is Union Station.
“Union Station is the primary thing that we do,” Tyminski said. “We set our U.S. tour and recording schedule, then we do other things around that. There is no template that we follow, but we typically plan six months to a year ahead.”
And Tyminski gets satisfaction out of both touring and recording.
“When you are the road touring, you dream about recording,” he said. “When you are recording, you dream about touring. It’s a thrill to see that what you’ve come up with in the studio and that people accept it. But when you are playing every night, and people respond to that, that’s satisfying. There is a sense of satisfaction in each one: the record that will be around forever and the playing live for the moment of electricity with the audience that you cannot get in the studio.”
www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/14641830-421/alison-krauss-union-station-a-labor-of-love-for-dan-tyminski.html