John Vitale spends his days crafting heartbreak into melodies on his trusty banjo, channeling the spirit of bluegrass with every mournful pull-off and hammer-on. Raised on the sweet sounds of sorrow, John has perfected the art of making people feel nostalgic for places they’ve never been and heartaches they’ve never had. When he’s not singing sad songs, he’s probably contemplating life’s greatest mysteries, like why the banjo has that high string in the wrong spot, and why all his songs sound better in the rain. Known to bring a tear to the eye with just a few notes, John assures us that he’s only happy when he’s sad.

Pete has been on the NYC music scene since the 80’s. A graduate in Jazz Guitar BFA at City College. First as a jazz, blues and country guitarist he has played many restaurants, clubs and cafes in the NY and NJ area. Playing with the Turnstyle Jumpers, Carolyn Black and the Blues, his own band El Street Cafe among many others. On the Greek music scene he played Bouzouki for the band Magges for almost 10 years. As of late he is a member of the Greek surf band Byzantones and the traditional Rembetika band called Dervisi. Here in the Bluegrass setting he can be seen playing mandolin, banjo, guitar or fiddle.

Vinny’s journey to bluegrass began in 2012 when he heard his buddy Mark playing Black Berry Blossom on guitar and his interest was instantly piqued. Starting his bluegrass journey with fiddle tunes on guitar, he quickly transitioned to mandolin (mostly because it made his hands look bigger). Since that time he has become a regular in the NYC jam scene and attended multiple festivals in the surrounding area. He can often be heard laying down tremulous double stops, leading a frenzied fiddle tune or belting out a bluegrass number on his mando. Recently, he has discovered an interest in attempting to yodel (much to the dislike of his wife and children) and to play banjo.

Dan’s journey in music started with folk guitar lessons at the tender age of 12. His first G-run was at summer camp, where a buddy introduced him to - what else? - “Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms.” His first fiddle tune was, you guessed it, “Salt Creek,” copped from one of his parents’ Doc Watson albums. Fast forward several decades, and his first bluegrass jams were in and around NYC in 2016. A fascination with the bluegrass ensemble quickly took hold, and with it, the need to play and sing these songs. Things he’d always gravitated towards - cross picking, singing tenor - had suddenly landed in their natural habitat. So now, as Dan would say, there’s no turning back. (Well, actually what Dan would say is, “I don’t need no stinkin’ pickups!”)

Liz Wolfe is a lifelong musician and dedicated educator with years of experience. She is deeply involved in the New York City bluegrass scene, organizing and leading jams, and helping beginners gain confidence. Her website lists bluegrass jams all over the New York area. As a vocalist, she has sung and performed around the city and received training from Broadway coach Rona Leslie. Liz plays guitar, bass, and ukulele, and created a popular ukulele course and songbook. With a strong community presence and a passion for expanding the joy of bluegrass, she’s always eager to play and perform with other musicians.

Jesse Markowitz is a life-long instrumentalist specializing in violin. Classically trained, he enjoys playing a broad range of genres, including chamber, orchestral, and covers, but these days plays mostly folk and bluegrass at jams and gigs around the NYC area. Jesse also freelances as an audio engineer and has recorded performances, interviews, auditions, and other projects for several organizations and individuals. After teaching middle school science for about a decade, Jesse now works as a data scientist/engineer and is the volunteer data analyst for the New York Mycological Society. You can find him walking his dog around upper Manhattan as well as running, biking, and camping around and out of the city.