Kane's River emerged as a Rocky Mountain bluegrass ensemble whose founding members were Jerry Nettuno on mandolin, John Lowell on guitar, and Dave Thompson on bass. Banjo player Julie Elkins joined later to complete the quartet, and all four contribute vocal harmonies while sharing songwriting duties.
The group came together in 1994 in Bozeman, Montana. Originally billed as Deep River—a name the band has continued to use on occasion even though their label identifies them as Kane's River—they built experience through appearances at bluegrass festivals. Still performing under the Deep River name, they issued their debut album, The Cottonwood, in 1997, an effort that drew favorable reviews.
Mixing contemporary and traditional bluegrass with folk accents, the act drew wider attention and earned an invitation to perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2000. That same year Kane’s River recorded a self-titled second album for Doobie Shea Records with producer Tim Austin; the release includes the tracks “All That’s Left for Me,” “Talk to God,” “Sea of South Dakota,” and “Pray for Rain.”
