May 2012 - Grammy Award-winning bassist, Todd Phillips, will be joining Carpenter & May for their fall tour. Todd is a founding member of the original David Grisman Quintet, the Tony Rice Unit, and the bassist for the Bluegrass Album Band albums, to name a few accolades. Phillips has made a career of consistently performing and recording with acoustic music's finest and most creative artists. He will be a welcome addition to Carpenter & May's November tour for which Allied Concert Services has just released the dates and cities. Please view the details on the schedule page.
January 2012 - Matt Raum has joined Carpenter & May as their full time mandolin player. His soloing and rhythm style seamlessly fit into the Carpenter & May duo, and his harmonies provide a soft place upon which Fred and Tim can land their lead vocals. Matt has played with some of the top artists on the acoustic music scene including The Hot Club of Nashville, The Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, and Missy Raines and the New Hip, as well as country artists Julie Roberts, Cyndi Thomson, and Sunny Sweeney. Matt has performed on The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and the Grand Ole Opry. He is also the author of two mandolin instruction books from MelBay Publications.
August 2011 - Carpenter & May have transitioned from a trio to a quartet. Paul Kramer will accompany the band on mandolin August 28th and 29th for the fall music festival at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Adding a dedicated mandolin player to the group will create an exciting rhythmic dimension and initiate a new level of creativity for the original trio. Future tours with Allied Concert Services will also feature the quartet.
June 2011 - Carpenter & May have been added to the roster of Allied Concert Services. Allied is an agency that was started in the 1960s, booking venues in Minneapolis and Wisconsin. Today, Allied books 150 venues in a 13 state area of the Midwest. The first tour is scheduled for November 8-20, 2012. The second tour is scheduled for April 2-18, 2013. More details coming soon.
November 2010 - Their debut, self-titled album "CARPENTER & MAY" was released to Folk Radio on September 1st. When the September Folk Radio Charts were announced, we were delighted to see that Carpenter and May were the #1 artists, #1 album, and had seven songs in the top 40, including the #3 single, "We Can Work It Out". Special thanks to Jared Ingersol Music Management for a fine effort in the release of the CD. Carpenter & May will be performing in New York City at the annual APAP convention January 8th and 9th at the downtown Hilton Hotel. Their showcases will be at 8:35pm both evenings in the Lincoln Suite.
August, 2010 - The official release date of Carpenter & May's first self titled CD, CARPENTER & MAY will be October 1st. The CD went to print media on August 1st and will be released to radio (folk, bluegrass, and Americana) on September 1st. Early copies of the new CD are available now on the music page of this website. It will also be available soon on CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon mp3.
During IBMA week here in Nashville, TN (Sept 27 - Oct 2), Carpenter & May will be playing several late night showcases. On Friday Oct 1st (the official CD release date), Carpenter & May will be the featured performers at the Grand Masters Fiddle Contest in the Grand Ballroom at 5:15pm. You WILL need an IBMA pass to attend this event. For their late night showcase times (no passes needed), please refer to the schedule page.
May, 2010 - What was started last fall is finally finished this spring. Production is complete on their self titled CD, CARPENTER & MAY. It is a mixed bag of roots music, both vocal and instrumental, touching many genres, with a traditional feel throughout. Audio samples can be heard on the music page, and a fall CD release date will be announced very soon.
February, 2010 - Carpenter & May are scheduled to perform showcases Feb. 19th & 20th at this year’s Folk Alliance Convention in Memphis TN. A multitude of music styles - Americana, old time, Celtic, swing, jazz, bluegrass and more can be enjoyed in the performance areas. See the schedule page for showcase times.
January, 2010 – Carpenter & May are scheduled to appear January 9th & 10th in the Lincoln Suite at the Hilton NYC during this year’s APAP conference. Other artists sharing this suite include Kathy Mattea, Alison Brown, Claire Lynch, and Frank Vignola. Arts Center owners and talent buyers from all around the world attend this event, and agents will be on hand to represent their respective artists in the Convention Hall. It will be a great opportunity for the trio.
October, 2009 – Fred and Tim have added bassist Charlie Chadwick to the Carpenter & May combo, taking their sound to a whole new level. Charlie has toured and recorded with numerous artists, most recently with John Jorgenson and Suzy Bogguss. Charlie is the inventor of the “Chadwick Folding Bass”, and is also the owner and engineer of OGM studios, where Carpenter & May have just started working on their first CD. Look for a CD release announcement in summer, 2010.
June, 2009 – Carpenter & May have joined the roster of Charles Dorris and Associates, a Nashville based booking agency and music consulting group. Charles, previously with William Morris Agency for 15 years, started this new firm with agent Jill Fetters in 2008. Jill will be handling the bookings for Carpenter & May, and will be focusing on performing arts venues in the U.S. and in Europe.
April, 2009 – Carpenter & May are scheduled to appear at one of New England’s finest music venues, the Stone Mountain Arts Center, in Brownfield Maine on Saturday, June 12th. This will be a home-coming of sorts for Fred, who was born and raised in Maine. This room is a favorite of some of the finest artists in Nashville, and Fred and Tim are excited about being included on their roster. Show time is 8:00 pm, and tickets are available in advance online.
January, 2009 - David Lusterman, editor and chief of Strings Magazine, has invited Fred Carpenter & Tim May to perform at their annual Dinner celebration, to be held on March 20, 2009 in Atlanta GA. This event occurs each year at the American String Teachers Association Conference. Previous artists include Darol Anger, Christian Howes, and Jeremy Kittel. Attendees at this event will include shop owners, string industry leaders, teachers, and artists.