Nashville String Machine
Nashville String Machine is a musical collective comprising session musicians, based in Nashville, Tennessee USA. Members of the group have been credited on records dating from 1972 to the present,[1] although the group was formally formed as "The Nashville String Machine" in 1981.[2]
The group was formed by violinist and concertmaster Carl J. Gorodetsky (b. 1936/7 in Pennsylvania) and his wife (also violinist) Carol W. Gorodetsky (b. 1937 in Pennsylvania). They take care of contracting arrangers, players and studio support as needed; their available supply of potential orchestra members is up to 80 strong.[3]
Since the required number of orchestra members varies from project to project, individual members come and go. However, there are four members of the ensemble who date from its 1981 founding:
- Carol W. Gorodetsky - violin
- Pam Sixfin - violin
- Gary Vanosdale - viola
- Craig Nelson - arco bass.[2]
The music aggregating website allmusic.com lists 1,171 albums on which "The Nashville String Machine" is credited (from 1972 through 2015).[1] The group has appeared as large as an orchestra, or as small as a duo.
Notable members
Being a musical collective, the cast is always in flux. Notable players with this outfit include:
- Jack Jezzro, veteran double bassist, composer and Grammy nominee;
- Alan Umstead, renowned violinist;
- David Steinquest, noted percussionist whose works have been showcased on the PBS series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Other artists who have performed with the outfit include Sam Terranova, Pamela Sixfin, Paul Christopher, Lee Levine, Dennis Molchan, Sam Levine, Paul Francis Relf, Mary Lee Taylor, Walter Schede, Joe Murphy, Jason Fitz, Pamela Vanosdale, Stephanie Woolf, Lennie Haight, William Woodworth, Phil Tempkins, Laurence Harvin, Marvin Chantry, Gary Vanosdale, David Davidson, George Binkley, Dennis Molchan, Lee Larrison, John Borg, Ron Huff, Marty Stuart, Vanessa Jackson, Margaret Bredemann, Patti Thomas, Anne Neff, Shelby Strickland, Angel Larock Sletto, Carol Moseley, Ken Nelson, Ron Jensen, Greg Thomas, Paul Roark, James Holloway, Tom Romines, John Catchings, Conni Ellisor, Ted Madsen, Robert Mason, Laura Molyneaux, Craig Nelson, Matthew Froud, John David Boyle, Roy Christensen, Virginia Christensen, Connie Heard, Walter Schwede, Donald Teal, Christian Teal, Kristin Wilkinson, Chris Simonsen, Bill Kirby, Bart LeFay, and Tom Howard, Michael Valentine.