Northern Lights (bluegrass band)

Northern Lights
Northern Lights band 1996. L-R Taylor Armerding, Mike Kropp, Jeff Horton, Bill Henry, Jake Armerding
Background information
Origin	New England, United States
Genres	Progressive bluegrass, Bluegrass
Years active	1975–77, 1982–2010
Labels	Revonah, Red House Records, Flying Fish, Prime CD Records, Fifty Fifty Music
Associated acts	The Seldom Scene, Jonathan Edwards, Vassar Clements, Alison Krauss, Alison Brown
Past members	Dan Marcus Bill Henry Taylor Armerding Jake Armerding Mike Kropp Alison Brown Bob Emery Jeff Horton Oz Barron Richard Hand Joe Walsh Chris Miles Dave Dick Ben Demerath John Daniel Mike Barnett Eric Robertson Alex MacLeod

Northern Lights was an American Progressive bluegrass band formed in 1975 in New England, which musical career spanned more than three decades. Known for a progressive style of bluegrass playing, the band went through a number of line-up changes through the years and included such personalities as Alison Brown or multiinstrumentalist Jake Armerding, son of founding member Taylor Armerding, who started playing with the band full-time at age of 14, but played occasionally when he was 12. As of 2009, there is no founding member left in the group. Guitarist Bill Henry, who joined the band in 1982 assumed the leadership role and Northern Lights continue to play without interruption as a quintet, consisting of two generation of musicians - Bill Henry, John Daniel and Alex MacLeod as well as young players Eric Robertson and Mike Barnett. The band has issued 10 studio and 1 live recording with Vassar Clemonts. Most of which are, unfortunately, out of print today. From 1990's "Take You to the Sky," to recently released One Day(Fifty-Fifty Music), the band has fused an eclectic mix of traditional roots music, rock, country, soul and gospel with the high, lonesome vocal sound and instruments of bluegrass. Three of their records also reached the top ten of Bluegrass Unlimited’s National Bluegrass Survey. The Northern Lights have decided to disband during early spring 2010. Their final show was on March 13, 2010 at Rose Garden in Mansfield.

The Northern Lights began its history in 1975, when Bob Emery, Marty Sachs and Dan Marcus asked mandolinist Taylor Armerding to join them in their progressive bluegrass efforts. This line-up recorded their first self-titled album in 1976, however, the group split in 1977. After five years, they re-formed again, at the urging of Joe Val, Taylor contacted banjoist Alison Brown. She remained in the Northern Lights lineup for the next two years. After Allison moved back to California in 1986, banjoist Mike Kropp took her spot to remain with the band for the next 17 years. Around this time, the band started to enjoy more recognition as a strong progressive bluegrass band, playing in different festivals together with well-known artists such as Tony Rice, Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas or Peter Rowan. This would help the band to sign with Flying Fish Records and record their next three CD's under this label.