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Northern Posse... ...A Bluegrass Band
bluegrass@northernposse.com
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The Northern Posse (NP) is a Bluegrass band from all around Minnesota comprising of four sisters Arlette Solom, Nancy Broten, Deaun Solom and Carmen Solom with friends Jim and Kitty Smasal. The Northern Posse plays in the traditional bluegrass style featuring two, three and four part harmonies. The Solom sisters with parents Helmer and Inez Solom played music and performed at family reunions. Helmer Solom was often found performing at local auctions, entertaining the crowd and performed annually at the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR). The Northern Posse got their start, when sister Carmen traded her Electric Guitar for a Banjo. The Northern Posse attended all the Bluegrass Festivals they could, staying up until the wee hours of the morning jamming around the camp fire learning new songs and licks on their instruments. As a bluegrass band they have performed at WMSTR, The Roseau County Electric Co-op annual meeting, local coffee houses, fund raisers, class reunions, county fairs, family reunions and a wedding.
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The Northern Posse is happy to
announce we will be in the
studio this spring producing our first CD.
We'll keep you posted here! |
Carmen is the founder of the Northern Posse... A Bluegrass Band , one of the lead vocalist playing an Ome 5 string banjo. As a teenager Carmen aspired to be either a Long Haul Truck Driver or a Country Singing Star performing on the Johnny Carson Show. Instead she's pulling a 23 foot travel trailer with her Tahoe AND performes in a Bluegrass band... I guess some dreams can come true! Carmen's voice ranges from a sweet Alison Krauss sound to a driving Rhonda Vincent sound. The Northern Posse has a signature song "Crawdad" which Carmen sings, if you haven't heard it, make sure you do. Crawdad will be on our CD. | |
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Nancy Broten also a lead vocalist in the band has an Emmylou Harris sound and plays a Taylor guitar. Nancy's been married to (elementary school sweetheart) Ed Broten for 40 years, together they have three grown children and five grandchildren. She is a great "Story Teller" and always has a joke to share. Nancy has many requested songs "Bluebirds Singing for Me", "Early" and "Hold Whatcha Got" to name a few. Nancy is known for the last to go to bed at any of the festivals and still the first to rise. She is credited with naming the band Northern Posse. |
Arlette sings harmony on most songs and plays a fiddle modeled after a Jacobus Stainer. She calls herself a rythmn fiddler. Arlette still owns her first car a 1969 GTO she also has a VW Bug and a Fleetwood Cadillac and currently drives a Denali. Arlette did cabaret and classical music before switching to bluegrass. Arlette is often requested to rip out classics such as "Bill Bailey" and "Katy Daly". She's the NP treasurer and books our gigs. To talk to Arlette about booking our band or purchasing our CD when it's available please email her at bluegrass@northernposse.com
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Deaun harmonizes on many songs while also playing a Gold Tone 5 string Banjo. She has a peaceful log home in the woods which she designed. Deaun has many collections from Coca-Cola items to wooden cigar boxes and everything inbetween. She rarely passes up a garage sale or flee market and has found many great treasures along the way. Deaun also takes the lead on a few songs one of which for sure gets your foot tappin' called "Down the Road". Deaun is the NP fashion coordinator, she tells us what to wear for each performance.
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Kitty shy's away from the mic with the vocals but picks a mean mandolin. Her Mandolin is a custom made instrument by Jerry Rosa owner of Rosa String Works www.rosastringworks.com Located in Missouri. Kitty is the official camp-site coordinatorhe making sure our camp has a warm inviting setting with two white picket fences displaying real flowers, a flag pole flying the American Flag above the NP flag and always has hot coffee on the stove. Kitty maintains the bands web-site and marketing tools.
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Jim, the only guy in our band, plays the Upright Dog House Bass. Most are jealous of him, those who aren't, feel sorry for him. Once a dairy farmer from Wisconsin but he hung up the milk buckets for life in the cities with wife Kitty. Jim will forever be a Greenbay Packer fan remembering Reggie White and supporting Brett Favre. GO PACKERS! Jim bowls on two different leagues and snowmobile with his buddies from WI, if that isn’t enough to keep him busy he also has two large dogs that walk him daily. He has one song "Sunny Side of the Mountain" and is working on a second, "Where I Come From" we'll keep you posted. Jim keeps the coolers iced and wood stocked for the fire pit at our campsite.
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