There has never been a shortage of prodigious musicians in bluegrass music, especially on it’s signature instrument, the 5-string banjo. Less common are virtuosic players with deep and diverse musical backgrounds that inform their approach to bluegrass. Though the numbers of musically omnivorous bluegrass musicians are on the rise, few have the staggeringly broad musical base of banjo player, composer, and producer, Wes Corbett. Wes’s skills as a player have kept him on the forefront of acoustic music since he first picked up the banjo as a teenager in the pacific northwest. He would go on to be a key player in Boston’s vibrant music scene, an instructor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and today is a rising star in Nashville’s elite bluegrass scene. Wherever Wes has appeared, he has been on the cutting edge, especially in his current gig as the newest member of the Sam Bush Band since 2020. Fellow players have long been familiar with the precision, refinement, and sparkling musicality, that have kept him so busy as a player and producer.
"Wes Corbett explores Banjo Futures from his own unique view point, while making lovely and lively music. Good one, Wes!"
– Béla Fleck
“I’ve had the privilege of following Wes Corbett as a near-family member since his early twenties up in the Pacific Northwest, where we’re both from. He’s got a pretty illustrious backline of real family members, with artists, inventors, dancers, and somewhen back there, the co-founder of some little town called Portland, Oregon. So he comes by this tremendous talent honestly, which mysteriously happens to mostly express itself through his banjo. I don’t remember a time when Wes wasn’t an exceptional, self-possessed and warm person, and he has certainly found his community; he very much belongs and sparks in this lofty echelon of musicians out here in Nashwegia. I’m always moved by his music, and I love that he’s always referring back to the particular region of Earth that we Cascadians are made of.”
– Darol Anger