Stillhouse Road

Stillhouse Road brings together the talents of Joe and Paula Ferrario for a unique and enjoyable bluegrass experience for audiences of all ages. Inspired by the heart and soul of bluegrass music, they also add a special blend of original songs, mountain music, classic country, and bluegrass gospel to their mix. Their music comes alive with vibrant vocals and the acoustic rhythms of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and bass.

Normally performing as a duo, Joe and Paula can call upon the talent of other local artists to accentuate their sound, especially for larger venues and events. The band has a complete sound system available for small/medium venues.

The band's current formulation has been active in the St. George music scene since 2009, and their music has received a warm welcome by audiences throughout Southern Utah and surrounding areas.

Performance Highlights (St. George, Utah, unless otherwise noted):

• Groovefest 2011 (Cedar City, Utah)
• Zion Canyon Music Festival 2011 (Springdale, Utah)
• Butch Cassidy Run 2011 (Grafton)
• St. George "Concert in the Park"
• Acoustic Grass Festival (Pahrump, Nevada)
• "Friday Night Live" at Jazzy's
• St. George Art Festival
• Washington County Fair
• Red Rock Music Festival
• Kayenta Art Festival
• SUSWA Spring Concert Series
• Earth Day Celebration (Springdale, Utah)
• Corn Festival (Enterprise, Utah)
• The Grand Lodge (Brian Head, Utah)
• Downtown Farmers Market at Ancestor Square
• Zion Canyon Farmers Market (Springdale, Utah)
• Saturday Farmers Market at Tuacahn
• The Painted Pony Restaurant
• Xetava Garden Cafe at Kayenta (Ivins, Utah)
• The Spotted Dog Restaurant (Springdale, Utah)
• Jesse's Bar & Grill (Springdale, Utah)
• The Red Coyote Cafe (Virgin, Utah)
• Various private events & weddings

Stillhouse Road is a member of the following music associations:

• International Bluegrass Music Association - IBMA
• Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America - SPBGMA
• Southern Nevada Bluegrass Music Society - SNBMS
• Intermountain Acoustic Music Association - IAMA
• Southwest Bluegrass Association - SWBA
• California Bluegrass Association - CBA
• Southern Utah Songwriters Association - SUSWA

Joe is a Santa Barbara, California native. He spent his early years developed his bass-playing style and performing with many local bands. He then moved to Los Angeles to join David and Darby Walker of Fifteen Minutes, which was signed by Chrysalis Music/EMI. After returning to Santa Barbara, he collaborated with Kenny Warren and Frank Sunseri to form Lost Cowboy Music Publishing, and the popular country band Spaghetti Western. The band released three studio albums, "A Fistful of Pasta", "Spaghetti Western" and "Pasta La Vista". The band also developed an association with Richard Mears of Curb Records, and performed with many major Nashville artists, including Carlene Carter, the Smokin' Armadillos, Mark Collie, BR5-49, Jessica Andrews, Paul Brandt, Steve Azar, and John Barry. A notable songwriting credit for Joe includes "Lost Cowboys" (co-written with Kenny Warren), which was featured in the movie "The Devil's Playground."

It was only after moving to St. George that Joe found his true calling in bluegrass music. His songwriting style was a perfect match. Fans of Stillhouse Road frequently point to Joe's original songs as definite favorites, including "Done Her Wrong" and "Oh How Long" for their up-tempo beat, and "Little Lulu" for it's mournful 'old-tymey' feel. Also popular are his one-of-a-kind smokin' bass solos cleverly inserted into the few special classic country songs in their song list. Since the inception of Stillhouse Road, Joe has taken on the mandolin, bringing both sparkle and punch to the band's music. He is also a talented vocal artist, either in the forefront as lead vocalist or blending seamlessly on harmony.

Joe is definitely an original, and his natural charm greatly adds to the duo's down-home stage presence.

Originally born in Layton, Utah, Paula spent her youth living abroad in Greece, England, the Philippines, and many stateside locations before settling down in Santa Barbara, California. She immediately fell in love with old-time, Irish, and contra dance fiddle music through the inspiration of violin maker and fellow fiddler Jim Wimmer. After moving to St. George, she continued to develop her fiddle style, took up the acoustic guitar, and immersed herself in modern and traditional bluegrass music. It took a very sorrowful and moving song, "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" (performed by Patty Loveless, written by Darryl Scott) to awaken her singing abilities. Since then, she has become a talented and appreciated vocalist whose voice is not only warm and soulful, but also perfectly suited to the bluegrass music so close to her heart. It is her passion for the music, and the purely honest and authentic delivery, that captivate her audience.

Paula continues to pursue her first love of playing the fiddle, and will often surprise listeners with a delightful fiddle tune. She also enjoys making song selections for the band, creating promotional materials, and collaborating with Joe in his songwriting endeavors.

Joe and Paula met while performing in Santa Barbara; they soon married, and moved to St. George in 2003. They were delighted to meet fellow musicians Marcia Worthington , Dan Worthington , and Larry Clark, and the group became known as Coyote Moon. Later in 2006, Joe and Paula formed bluegrass/country band The Glory Hogs, adding the talents of Larry Clark (guitar, steel guitar), and Grant Gunn (vocals, guitar, banjo). Their success led the band to perform in front of thousands as local finalists in the 2006 Colgate Country Showdown held at the Dixie Sunbowl. Other local appearances followed, including the Red Rock Bluegrass Festival, concerts at Ancestor Square, the historic Opera House, and Kayenta's Coyote Gulch Art Village, a special appearance at St. George's First Night Celebration, plus many city and county events.

A brief interlude followed in 2007 as Joe and Paula joined forces with talented electric guitarist Dave Stott, and former band-mates Larry Clark and Grant Gunn to form classic country band The Dixie Troubadours (subsequently adding other talented musicians to the lineup). After an exciting few years of various configurations and song styles, Joe and Paula decided to return to a more focused bluegrass sound, and began Stillhouse Road in January 2009.