Flatt and Alvis: Blending Bluegrass, Gospel, and Today's Sound

Putting labels on musical artists isn't always an easy thing, especially when you're dealing with artists from the eclectic Nashville Noir digital distribution label. Such is the case with the duo of Stephen Flatt and Shane Alvis.

The Flatt and Alvis sound is clearly rooted in the bluegrass made famous by Flatt's legendary great-uncle, Lester Flatt. But it also incorporates a little country, a little Gospel, some Simon and Garfunkel and Everly Brothers harmonies, and even an occasional suspended chord of the type used by the Stones or Tom Petty. In other words, this ain't your grandpa's bluegrass.

Flatt and Alvis have known each other for about 25 years, and have been playing and writing together off and on for more than half that time. Flatt is the guitarist/vocalist, and Alvis is the pure singer whose voice is the perfect complement to Flatt's more traditional Nashville/Appalachian approach. But if they had to be summed up in a few words, they are basically the Simon and Garfunkel of Nashgrass.

"I guess we do approach every song kind of like Simon and Garfunkel," Alvis said. "If it's got more of a Southern rock or Southern Gospel sound, then I'll lead; if it's got more of a straight bluegrass thing, then Steve will lead. But nine times out of 10 it's a combination of us harmonizing pretty much continuously."

The duo is making noise with their CD "Fields of Fire," available through their website or digitally through the Nashville Noir site. On this CD, mandolins, fiddles and pedal steels weave in and out of near-constant vocal harmonies that are both traditional and contemporary.

"We want to do digital distribution and get it into as many people's hands as possible," Flatt said. "We just mostly like doing what we do, and if other people like it, that's great too. We grew up in Nashville around a lot of people in the music business, and we know how hard it is. But if we do get a chance to play live because of people hearing us (through the Internet), that's great too."

Flatt never really knew his famous great-uncle. "I was three or four when he passed away," he said. "I remember going to his funeral and going to see him in the hospital, but that's it. But at my house we listened to a lot of bluegrass growing up, along with Johnny, Waylon and Willie, and then I got into the folk stuff and some rock and roll."

It was a slightly different story for Alvis. "I grew up Church of Christ singing a cappella," he said. "But Steve grew up Baptist and surrounded by instruments, and he started taking the same path as his family."

One thing they have in common with such duos as Simon and Garfunkel, or even the Louvin Brothers, is a natural communication that gives them a recognizable vocal blend. It may not be long before Flatt and Alvis are on the playlist of the iPods of contemporary bluegrass fans everywhere.

You can find more online at:
Nashville Noir: Shaking Up the Local Music Industry
www.nashvillenoir.com

Article Written & Submitted by Rick Moore