The Time Jumpers

A group of studio singers and musicians came together in Nashville in 1998 to form the Time Jumpers, a lively Western swing outfit. Initially, it was a loose gathering, consisting of a handful of members in a lineup that was subject to frequent change. The first lineup, which played for pure fun in a garage, featured Hoot Hester, Michael Blaustone, <a href="spotify:artist:4wUanQOs5bTH0uh7Ln7gDB">Dennis Crouch</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3sFtNPbkDtOCwO7U7GkPMt">Danny Parks</a>. The band's first time playing out featured Hester and <a href="spotify:artist:4wUanQOs5bTH0uh7Ln7gDB">Crouch</a>, with the addition of Andy Reiss, <a href="spotify:artist:0z4IT2s3fD9BWMUE52fU9S">Aubrey Haynie</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6NcMdkaqsWM6Y1e529IPQ6">Kenny Malone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7zrG4TY4mqNzBEr0Lctu3P">Johnny Cox</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3rjRvOadHUMbFOZ4Fh8adZ">Robert Bowlin</a>. They played out infrequently until they made their informal home at the Station Inn, where they began playing about twice a month. Informal sessions also occurred behind the scenes at the Grand Ole Opry, where the Time Jumpers would start dressing-room jams while waiting to back other artists. When the group's Station Inn sessions increased to weekly, Rick Vanaugh stepped in to take <a href="spotify:artist:6NcMdkaqsWM6Y1e529IPQ6">Malone</a>'s place while <a href="spotify:artist:15VYJppPuiGaRQPexviCFY">Kenny Sears</a> took over for <a href="spotify:artist:3rjRvOadHUMbFOZ4Fh8adZ">Bowlin</a>. In the meantime, Jeff Taylor also came aboard. Within months, <a href="spotify:artist:0z4IT2s3fD9BWMUE52fU9S">Haynie</a> opted to drop out. At one time, the group also featured vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:4gTkgzcGnaHsxuJ4WiCM32">Adie Grey</a>. The band's On the Air album features Hester and <a href="spotify:artist:5IOWYD0z73FijW5iO9vaPm">Sears</a> on vocals and fiddle, steel guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:7zrG4TY4mqNzBEr0Lctu3P">Cox</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:4wUanQOs5bTH0uh7Ln7gDB">Crouch</a>, guitarist Reiss, vocalist and accordionist Taylor, and drummer Vanaugh. The band has also included singers Carolyn Martin and the late <a href="spotify:artist:5IOWYD0z73FijW5iO9vaPm">Dawn Sears</a>, who was married to <a href="spotify:artist:15VYJppPuiGaRQPexviCFY">Kenny Sears</a>. On the Air features an appearance by Eddie Stubbs, announcer for the Grand Ole Opry. <a href="spotify:artist:3IhWQSrLj8EJjdvjFTpCyo">Vince Gill</a> joined the band in 2012, and is featured on the group's self-titled The Time Jumpers, which appeared later that same year from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rounder+Records%22">Rounder Records</a>. The album was a critical success, earning the group a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album in 2013. Just prior to the September 2016 release of their follow-up LP, Kid Sister, founding member Hoot Hester succumbed to cancer. Kid Sister was itself dedicated to another Time Jumpers member who died from cancer, <a href="spotify:artist:5IOWYD0z73FijW5iO9vaPm">Dawn Sears</a>, who passed in 2014. ~ Linda Seida, Rovi