The Panfil Bros. perform at festival and concert stages throughout New York, Penn. And Ontario. They are yearly features at the well known Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in the Berkshires. They’ve performed at The New York State Fair, Eastman School of Music and The Chautauqua Institute, just to mention a few.
They have released a new CD entitled “Saved by the Night” which is their 3rd duo release. It consists of 13 original bluegrass styled songs about local lore, family life and love. It will join their previous release, “Notes from Above”, contemporary and traditional Christian music and “Two Monkeys”, children’s sing along bluegrass.
Mark is a long time member of the teaching staff at the prestigious Augusta Heritage Workshop in Elkins, WV.. He has taught along side legends such as Jerry Douglas and Laurie Lewis. Mark is a member of the IBMA “Bluegrass in the Schools” committee. He is featured in the Murphy Method Beginner Dobro DVD bearing his name. He is also a certified music educator in New York State.
Chris is a former Nashville touring and recording multi-instrumentalist who has toured with several Grand Old Opry stars such as Del Reeves and Jeannie Sealy. He was a member of the Southern Florida Bluegrass Band “Sleepless Nites” and mnay other band over the years. He writes much of the Panfil Bros. material.
Both brothers are local western New York recording session musicians who have been enlisted by local artists such as Mike Meldrum, Ani Defranco, Terry Buckwald and John Mahoney. The Panfil’s have been champions of the western New York bluegrass scene for many years by playing, promoting, teaching and hosting bluegrass jams and events. They recently accompanied fiddle great Bobby Hicks for several shows as he was inducted into the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame this past summer.
Mark and Chris often perform together as a duo and are often joined by Mark’s son Scott Panfil on bass and daughter Katie on fiddle, all 4 share vocal duties . Mark and Chris are also current members of The Copper Creek signed Bluegrass group “CreekBend” and Neo Traditional Fiddle group “City Fiddle”. . They are planning a concert tour of Ireland this early summer.
Saved by the Night is 13 original songs featuring performances by the Panfil brothers accompanied by Buffalo Music Hall of Fame member Jim Whitford on bass. Many of the songs are folk styled songs about local history including Father Baker, Lackawanna Steel Plant recollections and Ghost stories (The Fountain). It is available online at CDbaby.com, through their websites BuffaloBluegrass.com, Chrispanfil.com and at their performances.
They both have a vast body of experience performing and teaching American music forms across the country and overseas. They have recorded together and separately on more than 15 CD (Album) projects for numerous independent and niche record labels.
