Jackstraw's style -- vigorous and muscular as a freight train and sweetened with Appalachian twang -- packs a rowdy bluegrass punch. In the tradition of the legendary White Brothers, Jackstraw's sturdy harmonies bring electricity to a classic sound. The band, made up of Darrin Craig (rhythm guitar, vocals), Jon Neufeld, (lead guitar, vocals) David Pugh (mandolin, vocals) and Jesse Withers (bass, vocals) were reared on acoustic music played by their parents in living rooms and kitchens from Kansas to Rhode Island, Colorado to Chicago. They came together in Portland, Oregon, forming Jackstraw in 1997, and have become a staple of the Northwest's flourishing acoustic music scene.
Five records later, the band has toured throughout the United States, playing roadhouses, listening rooms and clubs as well as festival stages. Along the way, they have shared bills with many bluegrass greats such as Del McCoury and Tim O’Brien and included legends like Danny Barnes (Bill Frisell, Robert Earl Keen, Bad Livers) and Tony Furtado (Earl Scruggs, Alison Krauss) as temporary band mates.