Bill Jones

Bill Jones was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee.  He started playing classical violin at age 10 with 5th grade strings program in the Nashville public school system and shortly after that joined the fiddle world playing old time, Irish, and bluegrass  music.  He has been playing as a hobby ever since.   Bill was trained at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the youth group “Fiddle Frenzy” led by Crystal Plohman. Bill was also trained and influenced by Loretta Brank, Luke Bulla, and Daniel Carwile.

At age 14 Bill competed in his first fiddle contest in Smithville, TN.   He considered it a victory that he did not fall off the stage considering how nervous and shaky he was. Shortly after that he discovered Texas contest style fiddle and was hooked.  From then on he went to every contest he could talk his father into going to and his father backed him up on guitar for many of them.  Later Bill branched out became proficient on both tenor and six string guitar, backing fiddlers up on their rounds or playing in bands.

Bill graduated from Tennessee Technologically University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2006 and graduated with my MBA in 2007. He works  at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN just outside of Knoxville, TN.

Bill has won State Fiddle Championships in KY, IN, AL and many more.  He is a former Youth Adult Fiddle Champion from the U.S National Fiddler Championship in Weiser, ID. He has judged man y contests as well including the U.S National Fiddler Championship

He is happily married to Heather and they have 3 boys: Weston, Harrison, and Greyson. 

Loretta Brank MacKeever

Hailing from the great fiddling tradition of the Pacific Northwest, Loretta Brank MacKeever is no stranger to the winner’s circle. A former Washington State Junior Champion, California and Oregon State Champion, and two-time National Junior–Junior Champion, Loretta has also placed among the top five in both Junior and Open National Championships and earned the title of Northwest Regional Champion.

Loretta’s musical roots run deep. Growing up in Washington State, she learned to play at just nine years old under the guidance of her father, Kenneth Brank, and followed in the footsteps of her grandfather Thom and Uncle Leon, both old-time fiddlers.

At age eleven, her playing caught the attention of fiddle legend Benny Thomasson, who took her under his wing — helping her refine the traditional Texas-style sound that became her musical foundation.

Loretta spent a decade leading her own California-based band, Sugarfoot, before making the move to Nashville in 1995. There, she took her talents to the national stage, touring with some of country music’s biggest names — including Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, Sara Evans, Lila McCann, Mindy McCready, and many others.

Now based in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Loretta works in nearby Franklin at A Moment’s Peace Salon and Day Spa as a Licensed Aesthetician. She continues to pick up her fiddle from time to time, donating her musical talents to worthy causes such as The Nashville Rescue Mission.

  

Jesse Maw

Jesse Maw is a fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and longtime student of American fiddle traditions. He began playing at age five and grew up immersed in Texas-style contest fiddling, studying primarily with fiddle champions Tony and Ludiker, Matt Hartz, Danita Gardner and others. As a young fiddler, Jesse won multiple Junior championships at the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho, and has continued competing throughout his musical career. He was the 2019 Tennessee State Fiddle Champion and, most recently, the 2025 Tennessee Valley Open Champion and 2025 Grand Master Fiddle Champion.

Jesse’s approach to fiddling has been shaped by a wide range of players, with longtime influences including Benny Thomasson, Terry Morris, Mark O’Connor, Randy Howard, and J.T. Perkins, among many others. Now based in Asheville, North Carolina, he has also become deeply involved with Appalachian regional fiddle music, drawing inspiration from fiddlers such as Tommy Jarrell, Clark Kessinger, Ed Haley, , Clyde Davenport, and Lowe Stokes.

Beyond traditional and contest fiddling, Jesse’s musical interests extend into swing, jazz, bluegrass, improvisation, and other experimental approaches to music. He has performed with artists including Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas, Brent Mason, and Gonzalo Bergara, and has taught at workshops and festivals around the country.

As a contest judge, Jesse has served at the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest, the Idaho State Fiddle Contest, and the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship. His experience as both a competitor and a student of multiple fiddle traditions informs his appreciation for stylistic authenticity, musicianship, rhythm, tone, creativity, and the many different approaches that make fiddle music such a rich tradition.

  

Ridge Roberts

Ridge Roberts grew up in Granbury, Texas. He first picked up the fiddle at the age of 7 and it was immediately clear that this would be a life-long love. In 2013 he entered and won his first fiddle contest at the age of 10. This led him to working with Joey McKenzie, first as fiddle teacher and now bandmate in the Western Swing Group “The Western Flyers”.

 Since then, he has gone on to compete in and win many more contests, with several notable championship titles - Grand Master Fiddler Champion, US Grand National Champion, Texas State Champion and the 2018 World Champion Fiddler.

 He spent his early years researching fiddle players and fiddle tunes, concentrating on the old-time Texas style fiddlers and when he wasn't playing the fiddle, he was thinking about the fiddle, listening to fiddle music, researching fiddle history, playing rhythm guitar for fiddle tunes, looking for fiddles and sometimes just looking at his fiddle.

When Ridge isn't touring with The Western Flyers, he's playing at nursing homes and assisted living centers as a contracted musician for Wings Over Texas Hospice Company. He also teaches fiddle and guitar students privately and in a homeschool co-op setting. He enjoys reading, writing, and all things vintage, especially Country music. Ridge plays rhythm guitar, sings, writes songs and composes and will always be a life-long student of music and its history.

  

Bobby Taylor

Bobby Taylor is a fourth generation West Virginia fiddler. He plays several styles of old-time and contest fiddling, but got his early start from the legendary Clark Kessinger, who influenced a world of fiddlers. He has a melting pot of old-time fiddle styles including the styles of his father Lincoln Taylor (1911-1995), Ed Haley, Mike Humphreys, Benny Thomasson, Reece B. Jarvis, Doc Roberts, French Carpenter and scores of others to name a few. He was the 1977 West Virginia State Open Fiddle Champion. In 2003, Bobby received the FOOTBRIDGE AWARD. This award was presented by FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance) for his contributions to old-time music. Bobby was presented The 2010 VANDALIA AWARD by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. The Vandalia award is West Virginia’s highest folk-life honor. When fiddle enthusiast West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd passed away in July of 2010, Bobby was honored to be chosen to play Senator Byrd’s favorite fiddle tunes during the public visitation in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda, and for the official memorial service. Bobby was also requested by the Byrd family to play for the private funeral services. He was inducted into the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair Hall of Fame in Ripley, WV in July of 2012 for his musical contributions to the State of West Virginia.  

Bobby has been the coordinator of West Virginia's Vandalia Gathering contests at the State Capitol in Charleston since 1979. He was the contest coordinator of the Appalachian Open Contest from 1984 through 1987, and he has been the contest coordinator of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival contest since 1990. All of these events are sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Bobby recently retired after serving for many years as the Library Manager of the West Virginia Archives and History Library Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Bobby has judged the Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia state championships, and is a regular judge at the Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax, Virginia. He has judged the Grand Master Fiddle Championship in Nashville, TN since 2006 to present. He was selected to judge the 2007, 2010 and 2012 Western Open Fiddle Championship in Red Bluff, CA. He was a judge at Jana Jae’s Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest in 2006, 2007 and 2009 in Grove, OK. He was selected as a judge at the Grand National Fiddle Championship in Weiser, ID in 2008. Bobby is a certified national fiddle judge. He is a nationally recognized consultant on rules and judging procedures for heritage music competitions. He has taught fiddle workshops at the Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes in West Virginia, the 2012 Midwest Banjo Camp in Michigan and at the 2013 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA. He has performed on musical tours in Australia and Ireland, and was a featured performer at the National Folk Festival in Australia in March of 2008. He was a featured performer at the Library of Congress and at the Kennedy Center on August 16, 2012. The Library of Congress show was recorded for their permanent collection.

In 1990, Bobby apprenticed and constructed a violin under the guidance of Harold M. Hayslett. Mr. Hayslett was a Violin Society of America “Gold Medal” winner for tone at the 1980 international competition.

Bobby currently judges extensively and presents historical showcases on fiddle styles with his old-time band “Kanawha Tradition.” It is not uncommon for historic fiddles once owned by great fiddlers such as Clark Kessinger and Ed Haley to show up at these events.  Bobby is the custodian of these historical instruments.