The Purple Fiddle presents Grand Ole’ Ditch

Grand Ole’ Ditch is a contemporary bluegrass band born in the mountains of Western Maryland. With a style steeped in Appalachian musical tradition, the band aims to reimagine contemporary music with bluegrass stylizations. The band derived its name from an important piece of Western Maryland history: the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The Canal, nicknamed the Grand Old Ditch, carried coal from the Allegheny Mountains to the East Coast during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bluegrass told the story of the people of this era, and was an essential part of their culture. Grand Ole’ Ditch is continuing the bluegrass narrative using today’s culture as its backdrop and each band member’s unique musical expressions as its language.

One night as we started playing a traditional folk tune called “Shady Grove” the music and the band came together. Everyone hit the harmonies perfectly, nailed our solos, and, most importantly, loved what had just happened. We knew immediately that we wanted to keep that feeling rolling, and to refine the synergy we had just tapped into.

We started as five friends who came together to explore and appreciate bluegrass. Although each of us had been individually devoted to playing, performing, and studying music throughout our lives, we did not come together with the intention of forming a band. We came together because each of us shared a lifetime appreciation of music.A homebrewed bluegrass band out of the little mountain town of Cumberland MD, Grand Ole’ Ditch is all about having some new fun with that old Appalachian sound. The band features Jacob Mathews on the upright bass, Jody Mosser on the dobro, Ryan Hohing on guitar, Lucas Mathews on the mandolin and Craig Miller on his banjo. Grand Ole’ Ditch hopes to be on a stage near you soon.