Wilson Thicket

Wilson Thicket has the acoustic soul of an Appalachian string band, but there is more to this Thicket than just a patch of bluegrass! Wilson Thicket combines a hand-picked group of the top singers, instrumentalists, and songwriters that Michigan has to offer, with decades of performing experience under their collective belts. Old school favorites, creative covers, and dynamic original songs are all delivered with strong doses of vocal harmony and creative instrumental mastery. This music has plenty of roots and lots of grass. There may be some thorns, but also some flowers.

Wilson Thicket consists of four bandmates, Jason Dennie (Mandolin/Guitar/Vocals), Aaron Markovitz (Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals), Keith Billik (Banjo/Vocals) and Scott Kendall (Upright Bass). Jason is among the top singers, songwriters, and musicians you will ever lay ears on! His mandolin work with acts such as Annie and Rod Capps, Jill Jack, Billy Brandt and the Sugarees, STELLA, Mark Lavengood Bluegrass Bonanza and others, led to 10 Detroit Music Award Nominations. Jason is also a three-time CAMMY AWARD Winner for Best Folk/Bluegrass Instrumentalist, the 2000 Gamble Rogers Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, and a 2011 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition finalist (with Wayward Roots). While Aaron has had an eclectic musical upbringing with all sorts and kinds of influences, his style has settled somewhere in between electric blues and acoustic flat picking, bridging both styles with a common goal: pulling that sweet tone out of a geetar. Steadily throughout his music career, Markovitz has become better known as a songwriter. Keith’s fiery, dynamic banjo playing earns him the award for most notes-per-song of anyone in Wilson Thicket! Keith is best known for his recordings and performances with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, Mark Lavengood’s Bluegrass Bonanza, and many other groups in his nearly twenty years playing banjo. Being a fan of all types of music, Scott has found himself playing in bluegrass bands for most of his adult life, while also performing in ensembles as varied as math rock, jazz, classical, soul, funk, hip hop, blues, pop, metal, and pretty much any genre one can think of (regrettably he has never been a part of a Tuvan throat singing ensemble, but there’s still time).