Here is what folks are saying about Loose Cannon Bluegrass

"Loose Cannon is gaining a reputation for its driving instrumentals, tight harmonies and varied arrangements. Band members have decades of combined experience and it shows in their versatility." - Bluegrass website

“….good sound and the performers appear to be highly skilled” - Pow’r Picken’, the Official Publication of the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society.

“fusing the rich and varied talents of Gary Barker, Lisa Astrella, Eric Grace, Marte Meyer, Jim Fischer and Ernie Martinez….they are no strangers to bluegrass fans in Denver.” -Swallow Hill Music Assoc. Newsletter

Lisa Astrella has been singing in choirs and ensembles since she was a kid. She's appeared locally at Denver Civic Theater, The Theatre on Broadway, The Changing Scene, and Littleton Town Hall Arts Center in various theatrical and musical productions. The "bluegrass bug" bit her hard when she discovered the Thursday night jam at White Fence Farm in Lakewood, CO. Lisa sings lead and harmony vocals, plays rhythm guitar and writes some of Loose Cannon's original tunes.

Gary Barker has been playing music for forty-five years. Arriving in Colorado from Michigan two and a half years ago, where he was a member of the Michigan Bluegrass Music Association and co-founder of the Old Town Saginaw Music Association, he quickly joined the local bluegrass scene and landed a spot with the highly talented group that is now Loose Cannon Bluegrass. Although Gary has played many instruments over the years he now concentrates on bringing the unique sound of the dobro to the band as well as lead and harmony vocals.

A veteran of a number of bands in Colorado over the last 30 years, Marte Meyer has worked with many talented musicians including Prairie Home Companion's Pat Donahue. Marte first heard live bluegrass at the original Elderly Instruments store in East Lansing Michigan in 1971 and has been a bluegrass player and fan since that day. Marte sings tenor and plays Scruggs style banjo and guitar.

Considered a national treasure by legions of Colorado musicians and fans, Ernie Martinez is an amazing acoustic musician who plays virtually anything with strings on it. After playing on over 150 albums by other artists, Ernie’s long-awaited personal CD was finally released in July 2008. “Where I Make My Home” reflects his 40 years playing with the likes of Tom Paxton, John McEuen, Jimmy Ibbotson, Chuck Pyle and many, many more. Ernie’s CD release featured an unprecedented sold out concert at Swallow Hill in Denver. His soulful vocals and sweet instrumental backups display Ernie’s vast talents and why he was a Western Music Association “Musician of the Year” Finalist in 2007. Ernie Martinez is a musician’s musician who is called upon to play guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin and bass by many bands in Colorado. While he is equally at home playing bluegrass, blues, Celtic, western, folk and rock and roll, “Where I Make My Home” is a compilation of vocal songs and instrumentals, originals and covers of American classics in the bluegrass and western genres that reflect on his life and times growing up along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies.

Eric Grace  Although Eric is one of the newest additions to Loose Cannon Bluegrass, he has quickly made his mark on the sound and the dynamics of the band. We are fortunate to have Eric on board. A veteran of the Colorado bluegrass scene, Eric has played with favorites like The Bluegrass Patriots, The Denver Grass, Kantankerous and Stone Mountain Bluegrass. His booming, yet warm, down-home singing style is matched with a hot mandolin technique reminiscent of "The Father Of Bluegrass," Bill Monroe. Eric moves easily between traditional bluegrass standards and the original tunes Loose Cannon is known for, making the band much more multidimensional.