Hot Rize Reunite For First Album And Major Tour In 24 Years: 'When I'm Free' Out September 30 On Thirty Tigers

Between their inception in 1978 and their amicable dissolution at the height of their powers in 1990, Hot Rize were, in the words of Garrison Keillor, "the Lamborghini of bluegrass." Twenty-four years after the members parted ways to pursue acclaimed solo careers, the quartet returns to release 'When I'm Free' (Thirty Tigers) on September 30 and embark on their biggest tour since their heyday.

Esquire premiered the band's new song "Blue Is Fallin'." Listen here: http://shorefi.re/1p7Vtb4

Featuring early members Nick Forster, Tim O'Brien and Pete Wernick plus Bryan Sutton, who replaced founding member Charles Sawtelle after his death in 1999, 'When I'm Free' is, in the words of Nick Forster, "a testament to this new formation of Hot Rize, to ongoing creativity, and to a contemporary approach that still sounds like us."

For the first time ever, the band recorded the album sitting in a circle - "the way people have always played music," Wernick says - ending up with more jointly-written songs than ever before, alongside two traditional tracks, a Los Lobos cover, and a new song given to them by Mark Knopfler. Original "Come Away" is vintage Hot Rize through and through, while "Blue Is Fallin'" swings with a bluesy swagger. And on Bryan Sutton's first Hot Rize writing contribution "I Am The Road," the four members blend in reverent gospel-style harmony.

Their admirers range across disciplines and generations. "Hot Rize is the great modern bluegrass band. They're the connective tissue that links the great founders of bluegrass with the modern tradition," says Steve Martin. Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers calls them "one of the most important bluegrass bands ever." And Dierks Bentley adds, "I've been in love with Hot Rize ever since I heard Tim O'Brien's mandolin kickoff to 'Blue Night.' Individually, Tim, Pete, Nick and Bryan are unique stylists and some of the best at their respective craft. Combined, they make up one of the greatest bands in any genre of music."

Starting in September, the band begins what will be their biggest tour since their heyday. See current dates below, with more to be announced.

Hot Rize Is:
* Nick Forster (bass) has hosted the NPR show eTown since 1991, airing on over 300 stations, and is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who has performed with Gillian Welch, James Taylor and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
* Tim O'Brien (mandolin/fiddle) has had a prolific solo career, with songs covered by the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Nickel Creek, and many more. Just last month Paste included two of O'Brien's albums in a list of the 20 best folk albums of the past 15 years.
* Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar) has been Nashville's go-to sideman for the likes of Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and Ricky Skaggs. A a six-time IBAMA Guitar Player of the Year recipient who also won a 2007 Grammy for a duet with Doc Watson, he replaces Charles Sawtelle, who passed away in 1999. 
* Pete Wernick (banjo) was President of the International Bluegrass Music Association for over 15 years and is a renowned teacher of bluegrass jamming, having held over 200 music camps over the past two decades and selling more than 500,000 copies of his written instructional material. In addition to bringing Hot Rize together, he helped organize Country Cooking and Flexigrass. 

'When I'm Free' Tracklist
01. Western Skies (Forster/O'Brien) 
02. Blue is Fallin' (O'Brien) 
03. Come Away (Forster/Wernick) 
04. Sky Rider (Wernick) 
05. You Were On My Mind This Morning (O'Brien) 
06. Doggone (Forster) 
07. A Cowboy's Life (Traditional / Arr: O'Brien) 
08. I Never Met A One Like You (Mark Knopfler) 
09. Burn It Down (David Hidalgo/Louis Perez) 
10. Glory In The Meeting House (Traditional/ Arr: O'Brien) 
11. I Am The Road (Sutton/Forster) 
12. Clary Mae (Harley Allen/O'Brien) 

Hot Rize Tour Dates
7/27 - Lyons, CO @ RockyGrass
9/12 - Grass Valley, CA @ Strawberry Music Festival
9/24 - Durango, CO @ Ft. Lewis College
9/25 - Aspen, CO @ Wheeler Opera House
9/26 - Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Auditorium
9/27 - Denver, CO @ Cervantes Ballroom
9/28 - Columbia, MO @ Roots & Blues BBQ Festival 
10/3 - Raleigh, NC @ Wide Open Bluegrass
10/5 - San Francisco, CA @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 
10/17 - Nashville, TN @ War Memorial & 
10/18 - Wingate, NC @ Batte Fine Arts Center &
11/12 - New York, NY @ City Winery
11/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theater +
11/14 - Washington, DC @ The Hamilton
11/15 - Baltimore, MD @ Gordon Center 
11/20 - Stoughton, WI @ Stoughton Opera House 
11/21 - Akron, OH @ Kent Stage 
11/22 - Middletown, OH @ Finkleman Auditorium 
11/23 - Chicago, IL @ City Winery 

& w/ The Del McCoury Band 
+ w/ Del & Dawg 

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