The Larry Keel Experience combines a multitude of musical influences, instrumental dexterity, and original songs to create an explosive acoustic sound. The group has long consisted of vocalist/guitarist Larry Keel and bassist/vocalist Jenny Keel, and has included a number of other players both live and in the studio. Christen Hubbard played mandolin on both 1997's Miles and Miles and 1999's The Sound, while 2000's The Larry Keel Experience added mandolinist/vocalist Jason Krekel and banjoist Will Lee. The band plays with the same instrumental finesse and energy of the Tony Rice Unit and the David Grisman Quintet, pushing ahead with confidence and style. Larry Keel's guitar work never seems flashy (though it is), even though he finished first place in the 1993 and 1995 flatpicking contest at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Instead, the mood for Keel and the band is laid-back, and one has the impression that the players are doing what they love most. Larry Keel handles most of the vocals, with his gruff, down-to-earth delivery, and has written a number of the band's songs and instrumentals. The Larry Keel Experience consists of seasoned live performers, playing with newgrass greats like Curtis Burch from the New Grass Revival and Billy Constable who has played with the Dough Dillard Band. It is also one of a number of new bands like the Acoustic Syndicate and the String Cheese Incident who draw from folk, progressive bluegrass, jazz, and reggae, creating an exciting mix of music that is impossible to pigeonhole. Although the Larry Keel Experience has shown a willingness to continually adopt new approaches, the listener can always expect excellent acoustic music that includes good songs and instrumentals filled with inventive jams. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi