This September marked the 20th anniversary of Colorado-based progressive bluegrass outfit, Yonder Mountain String Band. In celebration of the milestone, the band has re-released their critically acclaimed debut album, 1999’s Elevation.
Yonder Mountain String Band – Elevation – Full Album
Elevation has been out of print for years and is considered by fans to be Yonder Mountain String Band’s career-defining album. Originally released on the band’s own independent Frog Pad Records, Elevation features founding members Dave Johnston, Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala, and the late Jeff Austin, along with guest musicians Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Sally Van Meter, and Celeste Krenz. The 20th-anniversary re-release of Elevate is available now in 180g double vinyl format in limited quantities at the merch table at shows and online here.
In a statement included in the announcement of the re-release, Elevation producer Sally Van Meter shared some of her heartfelt thoughts on the creation and legacy of the record and what it meant to the greater acoustic music community:
Twenty years ago, over a good meal and margaritas, a pivotal moment in acoustic music transpired and forever changed the face of acoustic and bluegrass music. That moment was the agreement to produce Yonder Mountain String Band’s first studio recording, Elevation. YMSB’s Elevation broke past traditional bluegrass music boundaries, opening the door for acceptance of the next generation’s take on a new style that audiences would fully embrace. YMSB had something special about what they played, and how they played it. Their songs showed that it was not just jamgrass party time. No matter what they played, they did it with a full musical heart—both familiar and new concert attendees fell in love with them. Young and old listeners together could feel that this first recording was a wind-direction change in acoustic music that had not been felt possibly since the 70s with Tony Rice and David Grisman.
When YMSB came to me to produce Elevation, they told me, “We want to make a studio recording that will show people we are serious, and that we can make a studio recording that is professional.” What emerged from that conversation was near equal to a paradigm shift in the Bluegrass Universe. At Rancho De Ville recording studio in Boulder, we shared laughter, disagreements, commitment, and hope. We recorded a great album in the way YMSB members and their fans approach life in general: we had fun and worked hard together. I am still thankful that I took them at their word and accepted the job as their producer.
With the 1999 release of Elevation, YMSB brought their new music and songs into folks’ living rooms, weddings, parties, and more prominent concert venues. The new fans earned from Elevation are fans that understood they had become part of the magic that is YMSB. The band always worked together as one unit; no one offered more than the other and all remained true to their vision and audience. YMSB’s gift to the music community remains evident.
Now, upon the 20th Anniversary of the release of Elevation, it is good for me to remember and to celebrate this recording for what it was and still is: full of heart, great music, and the best of times for so many.
We spoke with YMSB’s Dave Johnston and Adam Aijala backstage at The Peach Music Festival 2019 about the bands that paved the way for them, their tight-knit Kinfolk fan community, and more. You can watch the interview below:
Yonder Mountain String Band’s Dave Johnston & Adam Aijala – Backstage at The Peach 2019
Yonder Mountain String Band has spent the majority of 2019 touring across the United States. The band will finish out the year at Mexico’s Strings & Sol and their highly anticipated Colorado New Year’s run. YMSB’s 2020 tour kicks off in January with a Pacific Northwest run with The Infamous Stringdusters before heading to the Southeast with The Travelin’ McCourys.
See below for a full list of upcoming Yonder Mountain String Band tour dates. For more information, head to the band’s website.