Ron Block

Banjo player Ron Block devoted more than a dozen years to <a href="spotify:artist:0OTnx2X2FDXeewcm72lavT">Alison Krauss & Union Station</a> and other groups before branching out to record Faraway Land, a solo album of gospel music that was released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rounder+Records%22">Rounder Records</a> in 2001. He previously spent about four years during the late '80s with the group <a href="spotify:artist:1nSIsYScDYmqOjctLRmKNV">Weary Hearts</a>, of which he was a founding member, and a bit of time early the following decade with <a href="spotify:artist:0qXdBhCodN4ezqvtZP8Gux">the Lynn Morris Band</a>. With <a href="spotify:artist:0OTnx2X2FDXeewcm72lavT">Alison Krauss & Union Station</a> since 1991, when he stepped in to take over for <a href="spotify:artist:01ts5a7R3WkeE2oKIouXEK">Alison Brown</a>, Block provided enduring and lovely songs for the outfit's albums, and they are frequently concerned with the topic of faith. Among the other artists who have recorded Block's songs are <a href="spotify:artist:5aBxFPaaGk9204ssHUvXWN">Michael W. Smith</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1pTuR132U5b4Rizal2Pr7m">Randy Travis</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6tLMZjo5mp3G1FmrARUaVT">Rhonda Vincent</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3mLGlD3jqVAlzqWFW4QqG6">the Forbes Family</a>, fellow Union Station member Dan Tyminski, and <a href="spotify:artist:5fu3Po5z59bTfUgbcaE0ay">the Cox Family</a>. Block has lent his talents to recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:3IhWQSrLj8EJjdvjFTpCyo">Vince Gill</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:32vWCbZh0xZ4o9gkz4PsEU">Dolly Parton</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3Ay15wt0QChT4Kapsuw5Jt">Clint Black</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2YXvdYU3uqlbLRHLI5SFFi">Susan Ashton</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:13YmWQJFwgZrd4bf5IjMY4">Brad Paisley</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3cMyqwpNT2D8f0WuaRzzZX">Billy Dean</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3SONlwqLIP2GtaMh9pLYe5">Bill Frisell</a>, among others. In addition to his songwriting and playing, Block has also worked as a producer on the bluegrass-gospel In the Shadow of Your Wings, recorded by <a href="spotify:artist:3mLGlD3jqVAlzqWFW4QqG6">the Forbes Family</a>. The list of artists who contributed to Block's debut reads like a high-caliber who's-who, and includes <a href="spotify:artist:0OTnx2X2FDXeewcm72lavT">Alison Krauss & Union Station</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1dyGPAYZZHHW6WIqwKN5QF">Chris Thile</a> and his <a href="spotify:artist:3bcLBxvaI7GsBzGp3WHnwQ">Nickel Creek</a> partners, <a href="spotify:artist:1FDE7zZ6jmP8HHb9ej3mek">Sara Watkins</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:45K759axQK0aohwSjbkgpy">Sean Watkins</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3mLGlD3jqVAlzqWFW4QqG6">the Forbes Family</a>.

Block, whose father owned a music store in Lawndale, California, got his hands on a guitar of his own when he was 11 years old. After catching a televised performance by <a href="spotify:artist:4UEb5ZsSyDWMAiBuOeKA6W">Lester Flatt</a> two years later, he was drawn to the banjo. Later that same year, his father presented him with one of the instruments, a Kay model, as a Christmas gift. After high school he turned to Texas' South Plains College to study music, specifically country and bluegrass. There he joined forces with <a href="spotify:artist:3CjYf8yTUg8w6UFIIcwUvA">Eric Uglum</a> and Mike Bub to establish <a href="spotify:artist:1nSIsYScDYmqOjctLRmKNV">Weary Hearts</a>. The group would later include Chris Jones and <a href="spotify:artist:3vnKATRg8e9hfDJPHhMBma">Butch Baldassari</a>. In addition to <a href="spotify:artist:4UEb5ZsSyDWMAiBuOeKA6W">Flatt</a>, Block cites a wide range of musical influences, including <a href="spotify:artist:4UEb5ZsSyDWMAiBuOeKA6W">Flatt</a>'s partner <a href="spotify:artist:4NEA48c6ajydrRzCbyll3M">Earl Scruggs</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5CWbfANRpZbnxdstzcNg5H">Bill Monroe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4YgACLaoEjPl4kVZ5WmBN9">Jerry Douglas</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6N9hyojoLChEhlsS8vYnyr">Tony Rice</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0uNC9XuH437fKCCMuzvSks">Ricky Skaggs</a>, among others. Inspiration later came from such diverse musicians as <a href="spotify:artist:5xLSa7l4IV1gsQfhAMvl0U">B.B. King</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1pBuKaLHJlIlqYxQQaflve">Benny Goodman</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6PAt558ZEZl0DmdXlnjMgD">Eric Clapton</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3t58jfUhoMLYVO14XaUFLA">Pat Metheny</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5hW4L92KnC6dX9t7tYM4Ve">Joni Mitchell</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0vn7UBvSQECKJm2817Yf1P">James Taylor</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7aRi9OzdA2ciputfuguaPK">Larry Carlton</a>. In 2007, Block released DoorWay, his second solo album, on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rounder%22">Rounder</a> label. His third, Walking Song, which featured songs co-written by Block and poet Rebecca Reynolds, appeared in the summer of 2013. ~ Linda Seida, Rovi