Photograph by Tom Diamant

Larry Cohea has loved bluegrass since he first saw Flatt & Scruggs perform in 1959. He has been playing bluegrass, and the banjo, since 1963, and has never played any other kind of music. Larry is originally from Springfield, Tennessee, but spent some of his growing-up years in Bakersfield, CA.

Larry came to the Bay Area in 1973, and joined Butch Waller's band, High Country, almost immediately. He is still a member of that band, and a veteran of many other fine bluegrass bands from Northern California.

Larry is one of the best, most hard-driving banjo players on the West Coast. His forthright, cutting vocal style is traditional bluegrass through and through. Larry sings lead, tenor, and baritone with the Nightbirds.