This is a BLUEGRASS night with a wonderful local band, Hilltown. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen/heard them but they sure are a crowd-pleaser.

About Hilltown

Named after the little town that grew out of the well traveled Salinas river fording site of the mid 1800s, the newly formed four-piece bluegrass band Hilltown is sure to get your toes a tapping. All of the band members live in the Monterey area; three on hills overlooking the bay and the other just across from the old Hilltown site in Salinas--hence the name. Three of the band members, also of the venerable Fog Valley Drifters based mainly in Modesto, were looking for a way to stay in practice locally and invited guitar flat picker par excellence and singer Norm Green to join in. As happens with a lot of bands, things clicked and a new band was born.

Along with Norm, band members include bluegrass nut and versatile musician Cory Welch on stand-up bass, vocals and occasional dobro. Long time bluegrass fan and Scruggs style picker Chuck Hurd keeps the drive alive with his five string banjo. And anchoring the band with her solid mandolin chops, tasteful instrumental breaks and lead and harmony vocals, is the talented veteran of several Monterey bands from the past--Rachel Bennett. Hilltown works to keep the variety alive with Norm, Cory and Rachel switching it up on lead and harmony vocals. The band plays traditional, country fried, and folksy bluegrass and always looks for ways to showcase the instrumental talents of the band.