Musical Duo Trout Fishing in America to Perform for UA's Celebrity ...

by Angela Estes

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The musical duo Trout Fishing in America will bring their offbeat brand of folk rock to The University of Alabama campus Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Moody Music Building.

The performance by the four-time Grammy nominees is part of the School of Music’s 2009-2010 Celebrity Series in UA’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Bassist Keith Grimwood said the concert is one the whole family will enjoy equally, both children and adults. He’s seen as many as five generations of family members at shows, he said.

“If you have a pulse you will find some music you can enjoy,” Grimwood said. “We don’t play down to kids, but we will keep them entertained. They will not be bored.”

Grimwood, a native of Alabama, and guitarist Ezra Idlet formed Trout Fishing in America more than 30 years ago, taking the group’s name from a Richard Brautigan book. The group was based in Houston for many years, but they now call Northwest Arkansas home.

The simplest way to describe their musical style is “folk rock with a dose of humor,” Grimwood said. Diverse influences of reggae, Latin, blues, jazz and classical music also can be heard in their music.

“It can be very funny, but we don’t do everything funny,” Grimwood said. “To me, humor loses its message if you don’t have the seriousness with it to balance it out.”

The group’s 2009 release “Big Round World” captured Trout Fishing in America’s fourth Grammy nomination for Best Musical Album for Children. They have also been honored with three National Indie Awards and multiple Parents Choice Gold and American Library Awards.

In April the duo released a children’s book/CD, “My Name is Chicken Joe,” which features 11 new songs that are illustrated throughout the book. Grimwood said they are working on a second Chicken Joe book.

The duo also is recording new adult songs, too, Grimwood said.

“We don’t like to get stuck in one genre, or one market,” he said. “It’s not just kid’s music.”

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