Alan Munde

Hailing from Oklahoma, banjoist Alan Munde made his first appearance in 1969 as a member of bluegrass guitarist Jimmy Martin’s ensemble. He stayed with Martin through 1971 before departing to become part of Country Gazette alongside bassist Roger Bush, guitarist Kenny Wertz, and fiddler Byron Berline. The group issued its debut album, Traitor in Our Midst, on United Artists in 1972.

Over the following two decades Munde served as the sole unchanging presence in Country Gazette while other personnel came and went around him. During that span he also issued solo recordings and joined forces with fellow modern bluegrass players Sam Bush and Joe Carr; together the three released Windy Days and Dusty Skies in 1996. In addition, Munde produced multiple instructional and transcription volumes for AcuTab that documented his distinctive banjo technique.