BIO
Jack Cloonan grew up on the South side of Chicago where he learned the accordion and fiddle in second grade from his father and grandpa. By the time he was grown, he had a plethora of instruments in his repertoire including guitar, mandolin, piano, banjo, drums and bass. Upon moving to Colorado, Jack raised the bar and surrounded himself with some of the top players in the state. Jack created the Jack Cloonan Band so he could play with talented musicians from all over. His music has led him to travel internationally with the Bluegrass Journeyman and to bring the PARTY to some hometown throwdowns. Jack brought his background of Irish music and old episodes of Soul Train to create the fiddle and funk discograss sound that is Jack Cloonan Band.
Not many bluegrass pickers’ are bred in the south side of Chicago…but there is one. Jack Cloonan emerged from the Windy City fluent in guitar, mandolin, banjo….and any other instrument with strings that can make a crowd dance. There wasn’t much of a bluegrass scene in the depths of the south side so Jack packed up his 1977 "beater" Mustang that his dad gave him and headed west to Colorado. Along that journey, Cloonan took his midwest bluegrass influences and fused them with some up-beat and original, disco-esque jams. Jack Cloonan called his brain-child “Discograss” an up-beat, rock and disco infused style of bluegrass that he would later create a 4-piece band around. Cloonan made a name for himself along with his newly invented genre and was soon invited on stage by bluegrass legends such as Vince Herman, Andy Thorn, Adam Gruel, Marty Sammon and David Grisman to name a few. The Jack Cloonan Band packs a punch with guitar, banjo, mandolin, keyboard and drums. Between Cloonan’s humor, engagement with the crowd, epic attire and of course some badass pickin’ – audiences always leave laughing and with their live-music tanks full!
BIO
“A fusion of festival-heavy genres, it’s one part jam-band, one part acoustic funk, and all parts upbeat party.” (DGO Magazine)