New Dawgs: Old School Freight Train

WHEN OLD SCHOOL FREIGHT TRAIN released "Run" in 2004, the album was heralded as a new incarnation of Dawg music, the term used to describe mandolinist David Grisman's brand of fusion bluegrass.

On a whim, OSFT sent him an unsolicited demo — and Grisman signed the band to his label, Acoustic Disc, and jumped in to produce and play on "Run."

The Charlottesville-based band recorded the album live, no overdubs, with traditional instruments, playing instrumentals and covers — and a whole lot of picking. Old School Freight Train seemed poised to represent Dawg's new generation.

But you couldn't keep a leash on this group.

While things have been relatively quiet since "Run" — the band released "Live in Ashland" in 2006, while touring steadily — OSFT has been changing. So much so that mandolinist Pete Frostic doesn't consider the band Dawg anymore. Or even bluegrass.

During that time, banjo player Ben Krakauer left the band and OSFT did the most un-bluegrass thing you can do, short of plugging in: it added a drummer, Nick Falk.

"We kind of went another direction with this forthcoming album," Frostic said. "With drums, we're definitely not bluegrass. And Dawg music is really a combo of bluegrass and jazz and Latin. OSFT's sound is now more a product of the rock 'n' roll and vocal music that we listen to now. Of course, Dawg music still colors the way we approach some songs, but it's not an accurate description of our current sound."

It's not much of a stretch for the band, which also includes Jesse Harper on guitar and vocals, Darrell Muller on bass and Nate Leath on fiddle. Harper's vocals resemble that of another Harper — roots rocker Ben Harper — and the band hinted at its more rock-oriented side with a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" on "Run."

OSFT now sounds like a folk-rock band that decided to throw in some bluegrass instruments for fun. On "Millionaire," one of the many new songs streaming on the band's MySpace, there's even a hip-hop element, something that would have sounded foreign on "Run."

"We've been playing with all of the options [a drummer] gives us melodically and rhythmically," Frostic said.

"Millionaire" will likely be one of the songs to appear on "Not Like the Others," the band's forthcoming album. Frostic said the group has been working on the album for the past year and it will come out in 2008, but OSFT is still figuring out when and how.

"We've taken our time with this album because we want to put out something that's true to what we are going to be, not just a capturing of a moment," Frostic said. "This album will likely not be on Acoustic Disc — negotiations are underway on that front. Grisman
wasn't involved. We're still great friends with everyone there, but it's a new musical frontier that is different from Grisman's genre. It's more of an indie-folk or acoustic-rock record in the vein of Josh Ritter."

He also said the new record highlights Harper's vocals more than before.

"We still improvise and take risks instrumentally, but we're more of a song-oriented band than a vehicle for soloing," Frostic said.

Still, looking back on "Run," OSFT is still proud of the album, despite the band's new direction.

"I'm happy with that album," Frostic said. "Mainly that we recorded it all live — no
overdubs. Those performances aren't edited in any way, so it really shows our ability to play well together rather than use studio tricks. There are some mistakes on there — nothing I'd change though. It was a snapshot of where we were at the time."

» Jammin' Java, 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna; with Drew Gibson, Tue., 8 p.m., $12; 703-255-1588.

Written by Express contributor Rudi Greenberg

Photos courtesy Old School Freight Train