This hot new band features Ryan McKasson on fiddle, Jeff Spero on keyboard, Christa Burch on bodhrán and vocals, and Bill Flores on mandolin, banjo and guitar. Ryan's inventive and dynamic fiddling is the heart and soul of The Syncopaths. Noted both for his folk and classical work, he has shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin and Elvis Costello, and has worked with Jeff's energetic, creative style at the keyboard serves as the perfect foil to Ryan’s fiddling and provides the driving power in the in the Syncopath’s engine. Well versed in genres from folk to rock modern composer Phillip Glass. At the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, he met renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Cape Breton fiddle maestro Buddy MacMaster, who have since been his greatest influences. He’s also twice-U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, winning once in 1996, and again in 1997. He also plays in the duet The McKassons with his sister, pianist Calista McKasson. to country, he has performed with fiddlers Richard Greene, Laura Light, Michael Mendelson and Tom Sauber. Jeff plays in several well-known Southern California contra bands, including Chopped Liver and Outré Limitz, and is also a nationally respected contra dance caller and dance composer. He is co-editor of the book “(southern) California Twirls” and is currently working on his second book featuring contra dances written throughout the state. Christa's flexible, expressive voice is fresh, powerful, and instantly recognizable, and her non-traditional bodhrán style lends power and groove to the Syncopaths' sound. She marries an extraordinary gift for Bill is a multi-instrumental wonder: accomplished on dobro, guitar, saxophone, pedal steel, mandolin, button accordion, fiddle and banjo! His versatility provides ever-varied colours and textures storytelling to intuitive musicianship, bringing vividly to life the moods and nuances of the great songs and tunes of the Celtic tradition. Part of a vibrant new generation of American folk singers, Christa works with keepers of the tradition such as Alasdair Fraser, as well as experimental projects like the a capella duet Lintie and the nouveau-Celtic band Blackwaterside. to the Syncopath’s palette. He has played music professionally for over 25 years, exploring a variety of styles, including blues, Cajun, old-time, bluegrass, Celtic and Norteno. He has performed or recorded with notable artists such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Wanda Jackson and Mike Seeger, to name but a few. a Syncopaths history Reknowned bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene was looking to put together an "American Celtic" band in early 2003, and Ryan, Christa and Jeff came highly recommended from the Los Angeles Celtic communities. They assembled at Richard's house for one rehearsal, and so enjoyed jamming together that six months later - the original project having been abandoned - they reassembled for a contra dance, this time with Bill along for the ride. Without benefit of rehearsal, but with memories of that earlier jam, they sat down to play... and magic happened. Dancers at that memorable night still talk about the energy, joy and groove-driven music that poured off the stage. Ryan moved away to Washington state shortly thereafter, and it was more than a year later that the band reassembled for the CTMS Solstice festival in Calabasas, CA. As they'd done before, they sat down to play without any plans in mind, and let the music and the groove find them as it would. And again, they made magic. This time, plans were laid to capture the unique sound of their jams. Six months later they made a tour of contra dances in California, recording the dances as they played. These recordings can be heard on their CD "Rough Around the Edges - the Syncopaths Live!" The band has since completed tours of the Pacific Northwest, Mid-Atlantic states, and Midwest, and is now laying plans for additional tours of the Southern US states and Southwest, as wells as returns to the Pacific Northwest and Mid-Atlantic States.