Knee High Records is honored to represent rising bluegrass phenom Wyatt Ellis. Happy Valley has exceeded all of our expectations with multiple number one charting instrumentals such as "Blue Smoke" ft. Marty Stuart, and "Grassy Cove" ft. Sierra Hull.
Wyatt Ellis and Happy Valley are eligible in the following categories:
• Mandolin Player of the Year
• New Artist of the Year
• Album of the Year
Happy Valley produced by Justin Moses
• Song of the Year
“Blue Smoke” ft. Marty Stuart
“Grassy Cove” ft. Sierra Hull
• Instrumental Recording of the Year
“Blue Smoke”, “Happy Valley”, “Grassy Cove”
• Collaborative Recording of the Year
“Blue Smoke” ft. Marty Stuart
“Grassy Cove” ft. Sierra Hull
“Happy Valley” ft. Dominick Leslie
• Music Video of the Year
“Grassy Cove” Directed by Joseph J. Cash
“Happy Valley” Directed By Joseph J. Cash
“Wyatt has the fluidity, feel, timing, and ‘ancient tones’ that make seasoned pros scratch their head in wonder.” - BLUEGRASS TODAY
“Ellis has quickly cemented himself as a sterling newcomer in the bluegrass scene.” - BILLBOARD
“Happy Valley is a bluegrass revival album wholly comfortable in modern Americana’s mainstream conversations.” THE TENNESSEAN
WYATT ELLIS - HAPPY VALLEY
1 Blue Smoke ft. Marty Stuart
2 Happy Valley ft. Dominick Leslie
3 Grassy Cove ft. Sierra Hull
4 Get Lost ft. Jake Workman
5 Little Pigeon ft. Scott Napier
6 Johnson Mtn Blues ft. David McLaughlin
7 Sandy Gap ft. Mike Compton
8 Goin’ to Townsend ft. Alan Bibey
9 Two Rivers ft. Danny Roberts
10 Wildwood ft. Lauren Price Napier
11 Whites Creek ft. Christopher Henry
12 Maryville ft. David Harvey
ABOUT HAPPY VALLEY
Happy Valley is a curated collection of twelve original instrumental tunes written when Wyatt Ellis was twelve-years-old. The album, named for a holler near the young musician’s home in East Tennessee, showcases the skill of a thirteen-year-old Wyatt playing alongside twelve of his mandolin heroes, backed by an all-star bluegrass band. Produced by Justin Moses, the project was serendipitously recorded on Happy Valley Road, a homestead once owned by Grand Ole Opry member Grandpa Jones and his wife Ramona outside of Nashville. Although purely coincidental, the picturesque title reflects not only a love of his home state’s natural beauty but also the rich musical legacy of the musicians who were here before him. Rooted in tradition but adventurous in spirit, Happy Valley illustrates Wyatt’s reverence for the genre’s pioneers, as well as a respect for its trailblazers.
Throughout Happy Valley, Wyatt switches styles with ease, from the upbeat twin mandolins of “Grassy Cove” to the haunting “Two Rivers Waltz” which features the young musician playing Vassar Clements’ fiddle. Alongside the whistle-able melody of the title track, “Happy Valley,” tunes such as “Maryville,” “Goin’ to Townsend,” and “Little Pigeon” were inspired by his childhood in East Tennessee. Wyatt pays homage to the clean, bluesy playing of David McLaughlin on “Johnson Mountain Blues” while “Whites Creek,” “Wildwood,” and “Sandy Gap,” tunes that mirror the tradition and style of Bill Monroe, were co-written with three of the genre’s top Monroe-style mandolin players. “Get Lost” was named as a nod to Johnny Cash and his first visit to Cash Cabin the day Marty Stuart recorded his iconic solo on Wyatt’s rousing fiddle tune “Blue Smoke.”
Happy Valley is a vivid snapshot of Wyatt’s boundless musical creativity and curiosity in its earliest stages. Throughout his debut album, the young multi-instrumentalist effortlessly layers his respect for the history and tradition of bluegrass with humble virtuosity. At any age, an album this impressive is an incredible accomplishment. However, in referencing Wyatt Ellis, mentions of his age become irrelevant. Taken together, these twelve tunes seem to echo from somewhere beyond his years, beyond Wyatt’s home in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains; echoes that are still there, still alive, still inspiring, still pulsing the way they have been since the beginning of time — guided by the ancient tones to which we are all connected.
ABOUT WYATT ELLIS
Born in the rich music bed of East Tennessee, Wyatt Ellis has quickly become one of the most-watched young musicians in bluegrass music. A devotee of Bill Monroe, Ellis has been mentored by many iconic bluegrass musicians, including Sierra Hull, Bobby Osborne, Mike Compton, and many more. Wyatt has studied with mandolin masters, composed his own original instrumentals, and transitioned from playing alone in his living room to performing seamlessly alongside bluegrass legends and Hall of Famers.
Wyatt grew up not far from the Great Smoky Mountains. His first recollection of hearing the mandolin, Bobby Osborne’s solo on the bluegrass classic “Rocky Top,” led Wyatt to set his sights on learning to play mandolin.
During the pandemic, music became Wyatt’s preferred pastime. With no close neighbors, and the music world suddenly at his fingertips, his passion for the instrument grew. As word circulated in the bluegrass community about his accelerated abilities, Wyatt befriended many of the genre’s top mandolin players through camps, workshops, and lessons.
In three short years, Ellis has mastered the mandolin and morphed into a multi-instrumentalist. He has been invited to perform on stage with some of the most iconic musicians of this era, including Billy Strings, Dierks Bentley, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Dailey & Vincent, and Marty Stuart.
As a young musician just starting out on his musical journey, Wyatt has found that the bluegrass community is full of supporters, kind words, and encouragement. He has accrued more than 100,000 followers on combined social media before ever releasing a single.
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