The Andy Rau Band 

The Andy Rau Band          

• Booking Information
• Purchase
• Schedule
• Discography
• Reviews
• History

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BANDMEMBERS
Andy Rau: banjo & vocals
Les Johnson: guitar, slide & vocals
Evan Anderson: mandolin & vocals
George Boravich: bass & vocals

The Andy Rau Band has been together since 1986 and was formed as an avenue for Andy and the members to showcase their own style of bluegrass music. Since that time, the band has been performing at music festivals, fairs and concert halls in the United States and Canada. They have also been featured at well-known amusement parks such as Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Six Flaggs.

Andy has sought to create music that not only stays true to bluegrass, but to his Southern California roots as well. Being surrounded by the diverse cultural and musical backdrop of the area, he has infused these influences into the songs. In this way, some new ideas have been introduced to the music through his songwriting and interpretation of some standard bluegrass tunes.

Likewise, the band members' bluegrass background, instrumental skills and familiarity with other musical styles have combined to create a unique musical blend while maintaining the acoustic feel and rhythmic drive of traditional bluegrass music.

Their fourth album, Penny Moon is now available Endovalley Records. It has received great reviews and much airplay throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. They have released three previous albums, On The Horizon and Different Man and My Angel. The albums have combined to introduce over 50 new songs to the genre.

Feature articles about the band have appeared in Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Musician, The Banjo Gazette (Great Britain) and Bass Player Magazines and they have earned endorsements with The Deering Banjo Company and GHS Strings. All band members have been involved in a variety of musical situations including studio work, teaching, conducting workshops, judging competitions and composing.

Your audience may enjoy hearing some bluegrass from the West Coast at your next event. We would be glad to set up a tour to your area!

"It's always gratifying to follow the progress over time as someone in love with his craft hones it, perfects it. It's not a job it's a love affair. So it's been fun listening to the Andy Rau Band over the past few efforts: tightening, experimenting; each album becoming more and more professional and interesting than the last. Andy and Company have put together some excellent music here: ten authored by Andy, the haunting title cut by Andy with guitarist Les Johnson, and one more, Les' "White Flash," a sweet, thoughtful instrumental that belies it's title.

There are some really good sounds on the album. The vocal harmonies are good and tight and quite inventive. Likewise, the instrumental work, always stand-out with this band, is downright head-turning in places. Andy, always quite the imaginative banjo player, arranger, and songwriter, serves up a tasty concoction here on near equal parts driving bluegrass, newgrass, and, in some places, folk. Les is amazing on guitar, sometimes burning it up, other times thoughtful, always tasteful, including some surprising slide guitar work on a couple pieces. This guy has a real flair for composing as well. Evan, as always, is reliable and creative on mandolin, and Bill Bergren turns in a solid job on bass in place of the departing Dennis Roger Reed. Bill also did a fine job designing the cover graphics for this CD.

Likewise, Andy's songwriting has come a good ways. There's the real clever opener, "Half a Heart," that's sure to draw a few chuckles as well as--- of agreement. This is one fine album, sure to grow on you with each listen. I already have my favorite cuts."
--Joe Falletta, In Tune Magazine, Bluegrass Association of Southern California

"Andy Rau certainly has an ambitious reach on this modern 'grass disc: He does the lead singing, plays the banjo, writes 11 of the 12 songs, and probably does most of the arranging…. The arrangements are bracing and varied enough and the picking, featuring mandolin and lead guitar along with Rau's banjo, is enjoyable, even exciting. Les Johnson's guitar really steps out on the breaks, full of flash and fire, without the irritating overkill of so many hot guitarists."
--John Roemer, Bluegrass Unlimited

"Penny Moon arrived today. YES!! YES!! YES!! It's great!
Great Songs (Lyrics that really work)
Great Harmony !!
Great Pickin' !!
AND.......... 'Good Singing' Do you realize how rare it is when those four attributes come together?
Hey Andy ! If CDs were dinosaurs, Penny Moon would be T. Rex!"
--Dave Weide, Producer and host of Mostly Folk on KUNV, Las Vegas, Nevada

"Thanks for sending out a copy of Penny Moon. I've enjoyed it right through, and congratulate you on a fine album. Your lyrics extend beyond some of the more familiar bluegrass themes and remind me of Lennon / McCartney structures and images. And that's a good thing for me! I hope you do as well as they did.
Thanks again and best wishes for the success of the album."
-- Bruce Cameron, Come All Ye, Radio CSU-Mitchell, Bathhurst, Australia

"Here is another great band that I found on the internet. Andy's banjo playing is very much like Larry McNeely, and that's not surprising as he was inspired by Larry. There is some fine banjo, guitar and mandolin on this album. They have an electric bass which fits in very well with their style. From the first track through the last, it's exciting and tight harmonies. Some of my favorite (harmonies) are on Make No Mistake. It reminds me a bit of the Eagles with a touch of bluegrass. The opening track is great too, I could relate to this song! L-O-V-E is another fine track, those smooth vocals and some fantastic guitar and banjo weaving in and out with the mandolin creeping in. Penny Moon is a kind of bluesy instrumental.
If you like original material and more of a new grassy sound, then I suggest that you look this band up and get hold of this."
-- Phill Morley, editor of The Banjo Gazette, London, England

"WOW! As soon as I played the first song on this CD, I knew it was going to be a real winner. The combination of fine bluegrass musicians, great original material and wonderful vocals makes this CD a must have for bluegrass enthusiasts. You think that you have heard the best song, but wait until the next one and it even gets better. I Think the best way to describe this CD is anticipation. You can't wait until the current song is done in order to hear what is next. I played the CD in its entirety, and the listener response was overwhelming. Each time you play this CD you find out what you missed the last time you heard it. Based on the number of listener requests
I have received, I will be playing all or parts of this CD for weeks to come."
-- Al Shusterman Backroads Bluegrass KCBL Radio, Sacramento, CA

"Penny Moon is a powerful record -- full of intelligent, hard-hitting tunes; fine singing; and, of course, fast and furious picking. I especially enjoyed Half A Heart (a fine choice for the lead-off track), If You Know What I Mean, Kathleen, the title track and, Jackson County. The Andy Rau Band is a sophisticated, well-honed group in the finest "California" tradition.
Thanks again for the superb music! I'll do my best to help spread the word here in Nashville."
--Dave Higgs, Bluegrass Breakdown WPLN-FM, Nashville, TN

"The members of the Andy Rau Band can flat out pick! Each member contributes just the right amount of each instrument in the correct place on each song…. Mr. Rau could probably gain some renown as a poet if he should choose to move in that direction."
--Frank Overstreet, Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America(SPBGMA), Kirksville, MO

"This group has some smooth vocal harmonies. The instrumental work on this album is as good as any I have listened to…"
--Ken Reynolds, Bluegrass Breakdown

"I really think it's wonderful to find so many original songs on this album. Bluegrass is starved for new material and Andy Rau has helped to alleviate that hunger through his sensitive insights to the human condition."
--LR, Bluegrass Now Magazine

"The Andy Rau Band's approach is modern and genre-bending applying bluegrass accents to songs steeped in contemporary folk and country, with hints of rock and pop as well. The group's prime strength is an instrumental attack founded on inventive, dramatic arrangements, full of pregnant pauses and resonant chording, and keyed by fiery, fluid soloing on banjo and guitar."
--Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Time

Southern California may seem like a strange place to plant and harvest a banjo carrier, but that's just what Andy Rau has done over the past 28 years. At age 15 he walked into a local music store and emerged armed with a rented banjo, some picks and a bluegrass record. "I didn't know anything about banjo so I bought the record to hear what I was supposed to play. I still have the album by the Dillards called Backporch Bluegrass. As soon as I heard the banjo pick Hickory Hollow I knew that was what I wanted to do for a living." Two years later he was working full-time at Knott's Berry Farm and teaching banjo on his days off. His "Knott's Gig", as Andy calls it, lasted for ten years and is where he honed his skills that would allow him to continue his musical carrier.

In 1985 he began picking with Evan Anderson, a well-known teacher and performer in the area. At this point he was also spending a lot of time in Los Angeles with banjo-great Larry McNeely who encouraged Andy to begin writing his own material. Along with Evan he began to introduce his songs to the public. "I had been listening to bluegrass songwriters on my albums, but I was also exposed to the many different styles of music played both live and on the radio in Southern California. We were working together a lot and Evan was nice enough to let me begin adding my songs to our sets. That was the beginning of what became The Andy Rau Band."

Before long they added a bass player and performed as a trio for a year or so until Andy met guitarist Les Johnson at The Fret House, a music store in Covina, California. "We talked about his musical background which included jazz, blues, rock and bluegrass. Many musicians boast that they know these styles, but Les can actually back it up with his playing! He continues to play in other musical situations and is a special player in each. As soon as I heard Les play I wanted him in the band. Now we were singing and playing about our lives instead of just being another copy band."

Since 1986 Andy, Les and Evan have been the focus of the band and they have used quite a few bass players until landing George Boravich two years ago. "I first met George when I was teaching at The Fret House in the early '90's and when the spot opened up, we added George to the band. Once again we were adding a player who knew bluegrass, but was also comfortable with other styles so he fit right in to our approach to the music."

The Andy Rau Band
c/o Endovalley Records
P.O. Box 841
Yorba Linda, CA 92885
Phone/Fax: 714-528-9765

Email

Sound bites use

Penny Moon New Release for 1999
Endovalley Records (ER-1955)

On The Horizon
Turquoise Records (TR-5087)

Different Man
Turquoise Records (TR-5095)

Regular Mail
Penny Moon & Different Man available at:
Andy Rau - CDs & cassettes
PO Box 841
Yorba Linda, CA 92885
Send check or money order, shipping is included
CDs - $14.00
Cassettes - $9.00

Order Online
Amazon.com - Penny Moon & Different Man CDs (set search to "popular music", then type in The Andy Rau Band)
theandyrauband.iuma.com - Penny Moon CD
tricopolisrecords - Penny Moon CD & cassette (click on sight index, scroll to and click on The Andy Rau Band)

Find a store nearest you
Tower Records (email us for participating stores)

Cartright's Music
281 N. 3rd Avenue
Stayton, Oregon

The Fret House
339 Citrus Ave
Covina, California

Shade Tree Stringed Instruments
28062 D Forbes
Laguna Niguel, California

Please Email us and we will send you our upcoming play dates.