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Patrick Ross
Vermont Roots
A fiddler since age 5, Patrick Ross knows what it means to be a music-loving kid. As one of Vermont’s busiest acoustic roots musicians, he has brought traditional music to audiences of all ages, always giving it a fresh, captivating feel.
A DJ, composer, singer, producer, and superb multi-instrumentalist, Ross is the very model of the modern traditional musician! He grew up near the Canadian border, and his grandparents came from Quebec with a solid fiddling tradition. At age 12, he caught the attention of a Smithsonian Folkways Records team documenting regional folk music, who recorded him on the front porch of his family’s home. He won the Vermont-State Fiddle Championship at age 14 and has been performing professionally since age 19 when he joined Smokin’ Grass, a Vermont bluegrass band that blended elements of folk and roots rock.
Patrick Ross
Ross has toured various music ensembles, worked and lived in Nashville touring with a Celtic band, performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C., and shared stages with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Paul McCartney. He’s established himself as one of Vermont’s top session musicians. He tours the North East regularly, has started an annual music festival, and opened his recording label, Rock Farmer Records, dedicated to “roots” music. Always busy, Ross performs with The Fellers with Rusty DeWees and guitarist Doug Perkins, the bluegrass band Mountain Money, and bands Hot Flannel and Atlas Key. His solo concerts include a worldwide range of fiddle styles and songs he has written for guitar, banjo, mandolin, and cello.
Said Robert Resnik, host of Vermont Public Radio’s All the Traditions, “It’s not just the technical expertise or the mastery of an amazing variety of styles that puts Vermont fiddler Patrick Ross several steps above and beyond practically all other players; Ross’s eclectic taste and raw energy make sparks and create musical magic every time his bow hits the strings.” Remarked his performance partner DeWees: “Equal to or perhaps beyond Patrick Ross’ virtuosic command of the fiddle is the easy and entertaining style in which he commands a performance. I’m blessed to have shared his stage.”
Vermont-born Patrick Ross doesn’t just play the fiddle—this unassuming master seems to sing the fiddle, or rather, the fiddle itself seems to sing soulfully in his strong and graceful hands. As he plays, he sometimes leans his head over, like a boy in his mother’s lap, listening quietly to the words of the stories being told to him. It’s easy to forget he’s playing at all—rather, we feel that he’s a conduit for phrases sung long ago in ancient languages. During performances, Patrick narrates in English, Quebecois, and a host of perfectly imitated accents he’s heard and naturally absorbed. A fifth-generation fiddler of French Canadian folk tunes, Patrick grew up bilingual in a close-knit family, in a tiny town on the border between the US and Canada. His ear is attuned to the sounds and contrasts of voices, cultures, and resiliency in trying times, and his music carries meaning more mature than any 30-something human has had time to invent. He’s a listener, and when he plays, we ride the memories of sound he recounts so effortlessly.
Patrick Ross Band
Band Bio
The Patrick Ross Band is a result of turning pandemic lemons into lemonade, or in this case, crabapples into cider. With a halt in touring and live performances, Ross put all his creative energy into writing and rehearsing songs about life in Vermont. "Uncle Joe's Camp" is inspired by Patrick's childhood memories of growing up on the international waters of Lake Wallace in Canaan, Vermont. Another, "Sugar Shack", is about the hustle and excitement of living in a place with four seasons. "Bear Rock Road" is about his mother's farmer-style school bus driving days. "Woodshed" spins around the idea that we all have that certain place we like to go to get a clear head. There are 18 songs in the new collection.
All three band members call the Upper Valley of Vermont their home. Bassist and trumpet player, Mike Conerty, is a native of Long Island, New York. His urban sophistication brings energy and excitement to the group. Drummer, Justin "Spanky" Roman is from the Bronx of New York City. His musical sensibility creates a deep well of soulful expression. Front man, Patrick Ross, plays fiddle, guitars, mandolin, banjo, cello and is the lead vocalist. His Vermont roots run deep in folk traditions. "My mother is Quebecois, my father is Acadian and I'm a fifth generation fiddle player." proclaims Ross. "I have finally matured into being a song writer." . Collectively, The Crew blends harmony vocals in a way that supports the story of each song.
Bring a friend or two, come watch and listen to how these Vermont musicians have been spending their pandemic time honing their craft, and let your soul take in some live music again.
Photo by Paul Rogers
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
"That was the most fun wedding reception that I've ever been to"
"Hi Patrick - I just wanted to thank you for the job you did Saturday night! That was the most fun wedding reception that I’ve ever been to - you rocked it! Everyone was talking about you Sunday saying how amazing you were and I just wanted to let you know what a huge part you were of making our weekend a success!!! Looking forward to following you and seeing you live somewhere hopefully this summer!
Thanks again!
K. Fitzgerald"
- July 2021
"...If You Want The Very Best"
“If you want the very best, Patrick is the music professional that you need to hire for your wedding. From the very beginning, he was open to all of our suggestions, and even learned a new song for our ceremony processional. Our guests loved when he fiddled along to our music selections during the reception, and would have loved even more! We highly recommend booking him for your event, but do it now, because he’s in very high demand.” The Fryes
– December 28, 2018
"...Patrick Still Went Above And Beyond"
“My husband and I knew exactly who we wanted to book for our wedding music from the start and Patrick still went above and beyond our expectations. We hired him with relatively short notice to play during the ceremony and cocktail hour and then DJ the reception. He nailed it and was helpful and responsive at every step along the way.
Patrick is a talented, versatile musician and can adapt to changing circumstances at a moments notice. During the reception, he paid close attention to our requests and was spot-on at sensing the mood of the crowd. A live fiddle-accompanied “Cotton-Eyed Joe” became an instant hit! As the reception was winding down, we lit a bonfire out back and Patrick joined the late-night crowd to serenade us with some acoustic tunes. It was perfect – I would highly recommend Patrick for a super fun and personally tailored wedding music experience!” Alaina M – September 29, 2018
"...And A Pleasure To Work With"
“Patrick was a phenomenal musician and a pleasure to work with. We hired him to play during the ceremony, the cocktail hour (he brought 2 bandmates in for a very reasonable price), and DJ the reception. After asking us for a bit of guidance, Patrick understood exactly what we wanted. He was very thorough in his communication leading up to the wedding, which made the day of the wedding very easy. One highlight was when he played live fiddle along to “Wagon Wheel” during the reception. Patrick also was very helpful coordinating the toasts and sound system and made sure everything ran smoothly.
Emily H – July 2017
"...Able To Give A Personal Touch To Our Wedding"
“Patrick played at our wedding during spring of 2013. He was easy to work with and exceeded our expectations. Our family and friends continue to rave about Patrick’s talent to this day. Including my husband’s grandfather that passed away this summer. Up until the day he passed, he recalled how Patrick played songs upon request that he recalled from his childhood. The performance meant a lot to us and was able to give a personal touch to our wedding.”
-Olivia Tuite
"...We Can’t Recommend Him Enough"
“Just another couple that were as happy as Amber and I were to have Patrick Ross as our Musician/DJ for our wedding. Anyone else in New England getting married this year or next should contact him. We can’t recommend him enough.” – Adam Cloutier 2015
"...In A Very Professional Way"
“Patrick played music during the wedding ceremony and dinner for Kristen and me in a very professional way. He was then joined by members of Hot Flannel, and they all put on an amazing performance – our guests danced the night away and told us how much fun the band was – highly recommend him!” – Jonathan Link Logan 2015
"...Patrick Was A True Gem To Find"
“Patrick was a true gem to find to play at our wedding. He came highly recommended by our wedding venue and after we chatted with him and saw a couple of his videos, we booked him! He is incredibly talented (and super humble). Patrick played our ceremony, including playing my requested song, his rendition of “Rise” by Eddie Vedder on violin as I walked down the aisle, and fiddled everyone down the hill to cocktail hour. We also hired a guitar player, a friend of Patrick’s, to play with him for our cocktail hour and then Patrick DJ’d the night away for the reception. It was incredible, but especially when he fiddled along with the music. Our guests on the dance floor were in awe and stopped to watch him in the balcony. Guests came in from the bar to hear him play. It was so magical. Everyone has not stopped talking about how amazing that was. Patrick was one of the most easy going vendors we worked with for our wedding, a true professional and master of the fiddle for sure! Patrick was flexible, and when I had to make the call to have the ceremony outside when it was pouring rain, he was willing to still play outside with an umbrella. We are so happy we selected him and that he was able to work with us. I would highly recommend him!” -Amber C
"...I Couldn’t Believe How Flexible And Seamless He Made It."
“Patrick was amazing. We booked him to play live violin/fiddle music during the ceremony and cocktail hour and then DJ during the reception. He played Moon River as the wedding party came out (at my request like a day beforehand, eek!) and Canon in D for the procession. I NEVER thought I wanted a musician at the wedding (thought it was too formal), but it was so perfect for our small, laid back outdoor wedding. He is a musician first-and-foremost, and we basically told him to play whatever he felt like as people were sitting down and as the recessional and during the cocktail hour. People were raving about him. He set up to DJ the wedding and serve as the emcee, which he did well at. Our wedding was super small and all older and family members, and after the first dance the dance floor was abandoned to everyone talking to each other and catching up. He quickly adapted and started a background performance by combining DJ’d music with cleverly-played fiddle “overplaying” accompaniment which was really amazing. It fit the mood perfectly. He then surprised me by meeting us all at the impromptu bonfire and playing as people toasted marshmallows before heading to bed. I couldn’t believe how flexible and seamless he made it. I love that he is a musician who uses this to support himself while pursuing his other musical pursuits, and felt good about supporting a small local business. I was not disappointed, and he made some of the most memorable moments of the night.” -Christine E
"...He Is Extremely Easy To Work With"
“I have had the wonderful pleasure working with Patrick Ross! He is extremely easy to work with and so talented. I’m a wedding coordinator in the NEK and have worked many weddings with him.. alhren barn, chapel on darling hill, etc. He is not only a DJ but a professional musician and provides music for Ceremony, cocktail hour dinner and full service DJ.” – Jennifer Kirchoff Layn
"...We Were Blown Away By Patrick"
“Just incredible – The title says it all.. we were blown away by Patrick. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, commented on his talent and professionalism. He – is – AWESOME. The price on this review includes his ceremony music & DJing services that lasted from 5:30-midnight!” -Jackie N
"...You Cared About Our Special Day"
Dear Patrick,
"Music is emotion. And as you may have noticed at our wedding, we are a pretty emotional bunch. From the beginning of the ceremony when the children entered the secret garden to the end of the night when us elders gathered around the fire, your music was the perfect complement to the innocence, joy, excitement, and sanctity we felt that day.
Your willingness to learn an Itzhak Perlman song in the 1 week's time is a testament not only to your craft but also to how much you cared about our special day."
-Sarah F.-
Patrick,
"From thinking outside the box on speaker placement to the dancefloor soundcheck Dance Party and then onto a -wonderful- daylong event. Your vibe and many "uniform" changes for all types of music was remarkable. Thank you for all of it!
We do hope to hear more of your performances in the future, and we will of course recommend you at any opportunity we can.
-Nate. F.-