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Thilo HainListening to the music of Sacred Sounds of Grass, you’d think its bluegrass by a band rooted in the musically rich American south. You’d be surprised to know it actually comes from Europe — Germany to be exact.
Banjo player Thilo Hain and his brother Sam Hain formed Sacred Sounds of Grass in 1979 after playing years in various gospel and bluegrass groups, inspired by their passion for sacred and traditional songs from early America.
Since then, they’ve recorded a handful of albums as both the Sacred Sounds of Grass and the Hain Brothers, popularizing the genre in Europe. They are considered the most authentic traditional bluegrass band outside the U.S. and the only bluegrass gospel band in Europe.
Thilo discovered bluegrass music in 1974, when a regional radio program in Frankfurt, Germany broadcasted country and bluegrass music around his hometown in Dillenburg.
Dillenburg is near the “Foggy Mountain” about 70 miles north-west of Frankfurt, an area that “looks pretty much the same like the rolling hills of Virginia,” according to Thilo.
The first two bluegrass songs he ever heard were “Doin’ My Time” by Flatt & Scruggs and “If I Lose” by the Stanley Brothers. The impact of those songs made him want to play the banjo that day.
On their U.S. tour in 1990 with Jimmy Martin, Thilo and his brother Sam had the privilege of meeting and having a jam session with Earl. They have shared the stage with dozens of bluegrass stars on their European tours, including Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Doyle Lawson, Jim Eanes and Bill Harrell.
At Frankfurt Musikmesse in 2008, Thilo discovered the Recording King Deco King (RK-R60) and was immediately impressed. He decided the instrument was right for him.
“The tone, the quality of workmanship and the playability, the design and the feel of the banjos really surprised me,” he said. “The sound, the playability and the sheer fun picking the banjo is unbelievable and can hardly be compared to other makes in this range (even to higher priced brands).”
“I honestly think and I’m convinced that you can’t get more banjo for your money today. I am very proud to be the first European artist as an ambassador for the Recording King banjos.”
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