JON & BEN

The valley that ran along the foothills of Chilhowee Mountain was filled with music. Jon and Ben Burchfield were greatly inspired by that music as played by folks who settled there in the Smoky Mountains. But no influence was greater than their own parents who were both musicians.

Their father Riley, who had a love for acoustic mountain instruments, introduced Jon and Ben to traditional tunes like “I Saw The Light” and “Wayfaring Stranger” which he often played on his guitar or banjo. And from a different perspective, their mother Millie, played classical piano pieces including songs from the Impressionist Period like Debussy’s “Clair De Lune.”

At age 18, Jon joined “The Spurrlows” which was the backup band for Country Music Star, Roy Clark. As a young guitarist, Jon could not have asked for a better mentor than Roy. Ben graduated with a music degree where he combined drums, piano, mallet instruments and clarinet.

All of these influences have played a vital part in the way they present concerts today. With Jon on classical guitar and Ben playing Irish Whistles along with the Mallet Kat, their music encompasses everything from acoustic unplugged to fully orchestrated.

At the core, this duo can be described as a neo-classical group with styles that include gospel, mountain music and Manheim Steamroller type Christmas arrangements.

At the end of every concert, people come to the product table asking for one thing, “Which CD has Ben’s whistling on it?” After all these years, our newest release will be just that, “The Whistler”.

As the Burchfield Brothers celebrate 30 years of concerts and touring, they would like everyone to know how grateful they are for the vast love and support they continue to receive!