Mike Auldridge, a master of the Dobro, joined bassist T. Michael Coleman and lead singer-guitarist Lawrence "Moondi" Klein to launch Chesapeake as a way to occupy downtime between their Seldom Scene dates. Mandolinist Jimmy Gaudreau, previously of the Tony Rice Unit, came aboard and the chemistry proved so strong that the musicians chose to stabilize the lineup as an ongoing concern. That move counted as one of their smartest ever. They brought a more disciplined attitude than they had shown with the Seldom Scene and forged one of the freshest voices in modern bluegrass. Their attachment to hill-country roots stayed firm, yet Chesapeake pushed ahead with carefully shaped arrangements, vocal harmonies sweet and clear as honey, and polished instrumental work.
The new group marked a natural step for Auldridge, a founding Seldom Scene member who had grown weary of the parent band’s lax rehearsal habits. Banjoist Ben Eldridge, who held a weekday job as a mathematician, and mandolinist-vocalist John Duffey, who repaired guitars for a living, seldom practiced outside gigs, while Auldridge treated music as a full-time passion. Coleman, who had previously backed Doc and Merle Watson and joined the Seldom Scene in 1988, shared that same intensity; together the pair had already cut a trio album with former Seldom Scene lead singer Lou Reid.
Frustration over the Seldom Scene’s light touring load deepened once Reid exited and original vocalist John Starling, a medical doctor, returned for a stint that lasted just over a year. When Rock Creek alumnus Moondi Klein took over the lead-singing role, Auldridge and Coleman kept hunting for other outlets. Gaudreau’s parallel impatience with the Tony Rice Unit’s slowing pace supplied the final ingredient. After several months of basement rehearsals at Auldridge’s house, the quartet played its first show. For a time the three Seldom Scene members juggled both bands before submitting their resignations in 1995.
Chesapeake drew from an eclectic pool of songs. Country numbers associated with the Carter Family, Norman Blake, and Bill Emerson received fresh, contemporary treatments, while the band proved equally adept with material by folk writers Tom Paxton and Steve Gillette and by rock artists such as Van Morrison and Little Feat. The ensemble stayed active for five years before disbanding in 1999, after which its members turned to separate performing and recording projects. In the years that followed, Mike Auldridge issued several solo albums, yet he died at age 73 in December 2012 following a decade-long fight with prostate cancer.
