Shaw Brothers & Pete Milano                       

• Booking Information
• "Margie" CD
• Purchase the "Margie" CD or Cassette
• Schedule Information
• Margie's Picture Gallery
• Pete's Schedule

April 29, 2006 Cheverly, Maryland   Pictures from our show

All American Day March 25, 2006  Pictures from our show

On the lighter side, here are some pictures from one of our gigs. We hope that some of the pictures tickle your funny bone.
July 2005
December 2005

2001 IBMA nomination
Recording Event - "Margie"

June 2001 - "Margie" CD review
"For pure undiluted bluegrass, Pete Milano and the Shaw Brothers certainly know how to deliver in style."
Bluegrass Unlimited

May 2001 - IBMA Band Showcase selections
The Shaw Brothers & Pete Milano have been selected as an alternate band with the potential to be Showcased at this years IBMA conference. There were 94 submissions this year for consideration to be showcased at the annual IBMA Conference, and we are in the top 24. Although we didn't quite make it within the top 18 (Showcase), we still feel that our project is quite noteworthy since we did come out ahead of 70 other submissions.

Pete Milano Click here for Pete's website and schedule Pete plays guitar and sings lead and tenor. In addition to playing guitar for the band, Pete plays mandolin and bass fiddle. As a mandolin player Pete started playing bluegrass music in northern Virginia after moving here from New Jersey. Shortly after moving to Virginia he joined the group "The Hobbs Sisters and Bob Goff Jr.", playing mandolin at Partners Two which was located in Centreville, Virginia. Bob Goff Jr. continues to play bass in Virginia and currently has his own band. After leaving the The Hobbs Sisters and Bob Goff Jr. band he joined the Southern Sounds of Grass and played at festivals around the Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia areas. Later he formed a few groups in the Northern Virginia area including South Fork Run and Southern Tradition that included Jr. Sisk (from Blueridge and Ramblers Choice bands) on guitar and singing lead. Pete is the owner of the Bluegrass Connection and is involved with the promotion of bluegrass music at national and international levels.

Dave Shaw Dave plays bass and sings the baritone part. Dave also contributes lead vocal and is the driving force behind many of the band's arrangements. Dave was born and raised in the Washington D. C. area. He started playing bluegrass music with his brother Bob. Dave started playing banjo, then went to the guitar and finally the upright bass. Dave is a traditional music enthusiast and favors the classic tight harmonies often found in brother groups. Dave frequently sings lead and harmonizes handling the baritone and occasional tenor parts. Dave is recognized for his insistence on the usage of "money" notes, a trademark of the Shaw Brothers sound. It takes a BIG man to play a big bass!

Bob Shaw Bob is a physicist who is a former orchestral and jazz trumpeter and who has been playing banjo for over 20 years. He also provides the vocal foundation and much of the instrumental and vocal arrangement that drives the unique sound developed by the group. Bob continues to amaze many a fan with his demonstrated three octave vocal range that allows him to sing the bass through tenor and high baritone parts. On the rare occasions when the band allows him to sing lead, he will just as often sing an old rock and roll or Beatles song as a traditional bluegrass song. As for Bob's banjo playing, you can easily recognize that he has developed his own unique style. This is a result of many hours of listening to such players as Bill Knopf, Pete Wernick, Ben Eldridge, Terry Baucom, John Hickman, Scott Vestal, Sammy Shelor, and, of course, Earl Scruggs. Even with his own style of playing one will observe that Bob is definitely rooted in the Scruggs style. However, it is not unusual to hear him demonstrate his versatility by including melodic licks into his breaks. Bob now plays a 1928 Gibson TB3 conversion archtop. On his CD he plays a 1989 Gibson Granada Flying Eagle flathead. On occasion Bob will break out his 1978 Hearts and Flowers Goldstar flathead to show off its beautiful tone.

Bill Beeler Bill makes his home in Fallston, Maryland. As a multi instrumentalist and vocalist Bill plays mandolin and sings the baritone, lead, and tenor parts with the band. Bill credits Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Doyle Lawson, Jesse McReynolds, Buck White, and David Grisman as influencing his mandolin style. Bill was an original member of the well known Baltimore bluegrass band "Windy Ridge" and played mandolin with the group for 10 years. Since 1983 Bill has kept active playing mandolin, guitar and bass for various bands including "The Lawson Brothers", from Aberdeen, Maryland and "Freestate Bluegrass", from Edgewood, Maryland. After an extended absence Bill returned to "Windy Ridge". Bill continued to perform with the band for a period of two years before retiring from playing in 1992. During the following seven years family and career consumed much of his time. By a chance meeting in late 1999 Bill met the Shaw Brothers and Pete Milano. Bill's mandolin playing style and music background was a perfect fit to complete the band. Bill has been singing and playing mandolin in the band since that time.

"Margie" is the first recorded product coming from The Shaw Brothers & Pete Milano Bluegrass Band. It contains a selection of songs that represent the traditional Bluegrass sound, but perhaps have not been heard as often as other songs. With this compilation of songs the band attempts to combine high energy, vocal and instrumental ability, along with the spirit of the masters who originated the music. Helping out on the instrumentation duties are recording artists Emory Lester and Tad Marks. Emory contributes the mandolin parts. Emory and Pete have worked together previously but had never recorded together until this project. Emory's virtuosity on a number of instruments is well known and respected throughout the world of Bluegrass and other types of music and can be heard on his many recordings. Tad Marks and Pete had met many years prior when Tad played with a local Washington D.C. group, "The Twigg Brothers". Since that time Tad has performed with many groups including Del McCoury and James King. Tad provides the expert presentation on the fiddle for this recording and can be heard on many recordings.

The Shaw Brothers & Pete Milano - "Margie"
Though Bluegrass music originated in Kentucky, the home state of Bill Monroe, the Washington D. C. area is widely recognized as the leading hotbed of activity for this music. The large quantity of musicians and venues for playing the music, and radio airtime all point to a great appreciation for the music. Certainly many bands have formed in the area and many varieties of Bluegrass music can be heard. Even so, the magic that happens when certain musicians get together to play is as rare as anywhere else. Occasionally a band will form that has a special quality. That quality is born of a mutual love of the music, a commitment to perform the music as well as possible, outstanding instrumental and vocal ability, showmanship, and tastefulness that shows a deep respect for the music and the listeners.

The Shaw Brothers & Pete Milano Bluegrass Band formed when a chance meeting of three people produced that elusive magical quality. It was clear that the qualities of traditional Bluegrass had a hold on Dave Shaw, Bob Shaw, and Pete Milano. All three love the traditional sound, and perform it with high energy and emotion. Their commitment to the traditional sound was evident from the start, and it was clear from that first meeting that the possibilities had to be pursued.
Ronnie Reno