Drew Emmitt

If the Mount Rushmore of progressive bluegrass mandolin players is ever built, Drew Emmitt’s image will be on it alongside fellow legends like Sam Bush and David Grisman, who he channels every time he steps on stage. Emmitt got his start at an early age in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado taking lessons from Hot Rize’s Tim O’Brien. He soon joined the progressive bluegrass group The Left Hand String Band, and remade the band through his desire to combine rock ‘n’ roll and bluegrass.

This combination provide an exciting and explosive sound and led to The Left Hand String Band becoming one of the most popular bands in the region. They regularly played some of the most prestigious bluegrass festivals over the years including Telluride and RockyGrass. Campground jams and occasional sit-ins with Vince Herman’s Salmon Head’s at those festivals, eventually led to a merging of the Salmon Heads and The Left Hand String Band for a 1989 New Year’s Eve show and the birth of Leftover Salmon. Since that New Year’s Eve show, multi-instrumentalist Emmitt has been the perfect foil for Herman, serving as a steadying influence for the band, acting as its primary songwriter, and forging a musical partnership entering its third decade.