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Lara Natural Music

Lara Natural Music was founded in 1999 by Charlie Boston in Chelsea, in the heart of London, England. It was set up as both a recording and a publishing company to provide a marketing basis for Charlie’s first compact disc of twelve original songs composed in a style influenced by American bluegrass and folk music. Since this time Lara has recorded and published two further Charlie Boston albums, all featuring Charlie’s original compositions, and an album by resonator guitarist, Ced Thorose, featuring many of Ced’s original compositions.

Charlie Boston

Charlie started playing gigs in the early 1970’s and performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 1977 & 1978.  A member of the PRS, his musical interests have always been in song writing and in 1999 he formed the record label and publishing company, Lara Natural Music , which gave rise to his first CD, Truths & Fantasies (2000).

He has since written and recorded three more CDs: Driftwood (2001), the multi-award winning Dogwood Place (2002) and most recently, Back Across the Water (2010) with the Olde Boston Tea Party. He has recorded with some of the finest bluegrass musicians both here and in the States, including Rhonda Vincent, Wayne Benson, Alison Brown, Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Charlie Cushman, Jimmy van Cleve, Ced Thorose, Nick Pynn, Chris Comac, Laurie Harper and Pete Stanley and he has tracks on two compilation albums distributed in Germany by ZYX Music.

David Hatfield

One of the UK’s most respected bass players, David began playing bluegrass in 1967 with the Morris Boys and became the resident double bassist on several BBC Radio Shows and the Cambridge Folk Festival from 1977 to 1995.

He has since played and toured with an a host of bluegrass legends including: Mac Wiseman, Jerry Douglas, Mark O’Connor, Bill Keith, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan, Flaco Jimenez, Arlo Guthrie, Tex Logan, Greg Douglas, Gordon Titcomb, Rose Maddox, Don Stover, Bill Clifton, Orrin Star, Pete Sayers, Jim Couza, Ben Waters, Diz Watson, Pete Stanley, Ced Thorose, Roger Knowles, Malcolm Price, Brian Golbey and the Kursaal Flyers. In 1979 he set up Waterfront Music, releasing several bluegrass LP’s as well as playing sessions for Flying Fish Records and Transatlantic Records. He has also played on numerous television and radio shows.

Jeremy Cozens

Jeremy discovered bluegrass in the early 1970s when visiting the Cambridge Folk Festival and was inspired both by the instruments and vocal harmonies. With a natural tenor voice Jeremy was soon in demand playing a wide range of stringed instruments with various folk and bluegrass bands before settling on the mandolin in the 1990s.

He has played with a wide range of bands including bluegrass legend Peter Rowan, The Dorset Folk Orchestra, The Shoestring Band, No Mean Feet, Jiggery Polkery and The Reel Thing. Before joining The Olde Boston Tea Party, Jeremy played with Three Tuns o’ Grass, having been an early member along with David Hatfield and banjo player, Johnny Butten. Jeremy is also a private pilot, which enabled him a few years ago to make the only air arrival at the Didmarton Bluegrass Festival held on Kemble Airfield.

Ced Thorose

Ced has been a mainstay of the British bluegrass scene for more than thirty years, during which time he has played and recorded with virtually every bluegrass player of importance in the UK. Apart from being the most respected resonator guitar player resident in the UK, he is also a fine maker of the instruments and is responsible for several new designs. This is one reason he prefers to describe the instrument as a “resonator guitar” rather than a “dobro”, which is, after all, the trade name of another manufacturer.

Ced is also a writer of a wide variety of instrumental compositions. These range from hard-hitting bluegrass breakdowns to the most delicate and lyrical compositions, many of which are featured on his album, Diamond Back. Ced is currently working on a second album which Lara Natural Music will be proud to release this year.

Leanne Thorose

Leanne was born in London to a musical family with both Irish and American roots. Her mother, Mary, comes from County Donegal and is a fine singer in the Celtic tradition. Her father, Ced Thorose, originates from Maryland, USA, but has lived in the UK most of his life where he has established a unique reputation as the leading maker and player of resophonic bluegrass guitars.

Leanne began teaching herself bluegrass fiddle at the age of 14 after seeing a recording of an Alison Krauss concert, but as family holidays were spent in County Donegal, she attended many sessions there and soon began to absorb the style of traditional Irish music.

When she was sixteen her father made her an “F” style mandolin and, inspired by the likes of Bill Monroe, Chris Thile and Sam Bush, again she taught herself to play in the bluegrass style.

She finished college in 2008 and gained a National Diploma in Music Practice. She is regularly called upon to play at gigs around London, and in September 2010 she was asked to perform with the legendary Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band during their short UK tour. She is affiliated with the folk and bluegrass label, Lara Natural Music, and is in the process of co-writing with Charlie Boston a collection of songs, which will feature on her debut album to be released later in the year.

Leanne has recently joined the critically acclaimed Irish dance production ‘Essence of Ireland’ as their new leading Fiddle player and has just completed a UK tour with the company from March to May 2011.

British experts we recommend

We would like to take this opportunity to recommend the following experts to anyone wishing to make a record in this country.

Lara Natural Music
22a Ives Street, London SW3 2ND
charlie@laramusic.co.uk