Driftwood

The musical landscape of the Upstate New York region was drastically changed in the Summer of 2006 with the formation of experimental acoustic band Driftwood. Coming from many different musical backgrounds, the members of Driftwood have reinvented the songs of traditional American roots music by blending them with the sounds and feel of modern and world music. Master craftsmen all, Driftwood is fronted by the powerhouse multi-instrumentalist trio of Dan Forsyth, Joe Kollar, and Chris Duddy, w...

The musical landscape of the Upstate New York region was drastically changed in the Summer of 2006 with the formation of experimental acoustic band Driftwood. Coming from many different musical backgrounds, the members of Driftwood have reinvented the songs of traditional American roots music by blending them with the sounds and feel of modern and world music. Master craftsmen all, Driftwood is fronted by the powerhouse multi-instrumentalist trio of Dan Forsyth, Joe Kollar, and Chris Duddy, who can both solo and sing as if it were a second nature. Holding down the rhythm section is Jon Doll on bass and Mike Torres on percussion, creating syncopated and melodic beats that cause even the most hardened listeners to forget their qualms and start dancing. Driftwood’s virtuosity is matched by their versatility and they are able to play sweet and sultry ballads with as much drive and passion as an up-tempo whiskey-fuelled romp. For these reasons, Driftwood has been in high demand by Upstate audiences of all persuasions,which has led to a quite a successful run of shows their first year out. Since their formation in the winter of 2006, Driftwood has played at a number of New York venues from Ithaca to Manhattan, and has become a mainstay at Binghamton’s Cyber Café West, a main stop for many touring acoustic acts in the area. They have also had success playing the ever-competitive festival circuit, and have played at a number of jam and bluegrass festivals, including Ithaca’s famous Grassroots Festival (at which they won the best new band competition in July ’06), the Chenango County Bluegrass Festival, the Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival (1st place best new band), and the Quixotic Music Festival, all of which have attracted national and regional acts.