The Coal Porters

Following the dissolution from the Long Ryders, musician Sid Griffin (who doubles being a music journalist, having penned Gram Parsons: A Music Biography in 1985) formed the Coal Porters in LA alongside Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders and British bassist Ian Thomson. The group, which quickly relocated to Britain, debuted with Rebels Without Applause (originally an Australian 12″ EP), implemented in 1994 with the full-length work Land of Wish and Crosby. The record highlighted such guests as ex-Green on Crimson organist Chris Cacavas and ex-Rockpile member Billy Bremner. Griffin continuing to employ a revolving ensemble of musicians in the band’s follow-up, Los London. The Gram Parsons Tribute Concert, a live documenting extracted from a London gig on the Garage area in Sept 1998, would end up being the Coal Porters’ last electrical work before Griffin had taken the group within an acoustic path. (Griffin was making Here Shows up the Neighbourhood by Lindisfarne when he present himself motivated by that group’s acoustic audio.) Subsequently, the Coal Porters re-emerged as an acoustic bluegrass task, with Griffin on mandolin, Pat McGarvey on banjo, Neil Robert Herd on acoustic guitar, Alan Bisset on bass, and Ivor Ottley on fiddle. In 2001, that edition from the Coal Porters released the all-acoustic bluegrass recording The Chris Hillman Tribute Concerts, which explored the profession from the ex-Byrds and Soaring Burrito Brothers member. This acoustic incarnation of Coal Porters produced its studio room debut in 2004 with How Dark This Globe Will Shine, adopted in 2008 by Change water On, Boy!, the second option of which continuing Griffin’s exploration of his personal bluegrass roots.