I would like to introduce you to Cold Creek, Utah’s Premier Bluegrass Band. They hail from American Fork, Utah and perform across Utah and the western states. The band is comprised of Bill Sprunger on guitar and lead vocals, Blaine Nelson on banjo, Andrea Ivey Banner on bass and lead vocals, Jake Workman on mandolin, and Rob Ricks on fiddle. These talented musicians have been playing together for many years in various capacities and make up a truly outstanding bluegrass band.

The music of Cold Creek is a captivating blend of traditional and progressive bluegrass. It features tight harmonies, incredible picking and playing, and interesting arrangements, along with great original tunes. These five musicians love to entertain, and their live show has wowed audiences and made them a fan favorite at such venues as the Founder’s Title Bluegrass Festival in Snowbird, Utah, the Bannock County Bluegrass Festival in Pocatello, Idaho, the Wolf Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Santa Cruz, California, and the Durango Meltdown in Colorado. They also have traveled internationally, and played shows most recently in Moscow, Russia. Audience members describe a very original sound, combining some elements of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Mountain Heart.

In early 2006, Cold Creek finished their first album, Faithfully, and began to make their name in the regional bluegrass scene. They have just completed a new album, called Big Sky, and are excited to be receiving return invites to many engagements.

Introducing Cold Creek

	Bill Sprunger   has been playing bluegrass music since 1995, when he was inspired by a live performance of Alison Krauss and Union Station. While he is featured picking his guitar and singing lead and harmony vocals in Cold Creek, he is also a past instrument champion on fiddle and mandolin. Bill writes and arranges many of the band’s songs, including Faithfully, the title track of Cold Creek’s debut album. He is a former member of the award-winning bands McKenzie Bridge and Gift Horse. Away from the band, Bill is an elementary school teacher. He and his wife Shauna, and kids live in Lehi, Utah.
	Blaine Nelson is one of the finest 5 string banjo players in the state of Utah. His outstanding skills earned him the title of 2003 Utah State banjo champion. His unique and flawless banjo picking drive the sound of Cold Creek. He has played at numerous venues throughout Utah, both with his former band, Gift Horse, and as a solo act, including the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Founders Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival, and the Birch Creek Bluegrass Festival. He and his wife Sue have two children, Skyler and Hannah. They live in Sandy, Utah.
	Rob Ricks has fiddled professionally for over 20 years as a member of several groups and as a freelance live and studio musician. He was a founding member of the groups String Fever and Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband. Rob has won a number of competitions including the Telluride Fiddle Contest and the Telluride Band Contest – both at the age of 16. During the day, Rob works as a portfolio manager for a local institutional asset management firm. He currently lives in Salt Lake with his wife Cortney and son William.
	Andrea Ivey Banner has been performing since the age of seven and hails from Arkansas, where she grew up with bluegrass music. She picks up the bass and sings lead and harmony vocals for Cold Creek. Andrea is an amazing singer and songwriter, having been featured in the Tim O’Brien Songwriters’ Showcase. She has also been an integral part of such bands as Whitewater, national bluegrass playoff champions McKenzie Bridge, and the Starving Barbies Folk Band. She is married to Justin Banner and they have two sons, Luke and Jace. They live in Highland, UT.
	Jake Workman is an 18 year old multi-instrumentalist, born and raised in Draper, Utah. He began playing the guitar at the age of 13, inspired primarily by classic rock n’ roll such as The Beatles, Journey, and Boston. When he later picked up the banjo and mandolin, he was sold on bluegrass music immediately. As the mandolin player for Cold Creek, he incorporates his broad range of musical style to their music. He is currently studying jazz guitar in the University of Utah music program, and recently won the title “King of Blues” for the state of Utah.