Bio of Common Tyme Bluegrass Band Members.

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Band Members Clay Cunningham Cody Frost, Scott Schmidt, James Womack , Todd Woodward, Jerry Howland  

Common Tyme has a high-energy sound that is blazing new trails in the Oklahoma's Bluegrass scene. This Band brings a refreshing mixture of Traditional Bluegrass to some New Grass, Along with a total of 50 plus years of experience also.  Together, their two ,three and four part harmonies are a delight to the ear. We play a mixture of different styles using standard, traditional Bluegrass instruments - Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar, Bass.

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Clay Cunningham  clay@commontyme.net


The members of Common Tyme are pleased to announce that Clay Cunningham is the new 2004 second place winner of the  National Bluegrass Banjo Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas 

Clay has been playing bluegrass music for over 14 years, starting the mandolin at the age of 8, and expanding to fiddle, guitar and banjo.  Clay grew up in Bartlesville, OK and got started playing bluegrass by a local player named Leon Campbell.  Clay’s banjo style has been influenced by Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe and Wayne Fields.  Clay has opened for acts such as Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Lawrence, Tammy Cochran and Riders in the Sky.  He also played at Nashville’s Station Inn in August 2003. Clay recently married his beautiful wife, Kari Ann.  They have established their home in Gore, OK.  Clay works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Hydroelectric Power Plant at Webbers Falls, OK.  He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a degree in Manufacturing Engineering.

 

Thanks to the help of the late Elmer Jones and the help of Ricky Wasson, Clay was able to get a Gibson RB 75 J. D. Crowe model banjo.  

This banjo was personally selected for him by J.D. Crowe, and autographed by J.D. Crowe, Earl Scruggs, Alan Bibey, Josh Graves, and Ricky Wasson.
Signatures inside Clay's banjo.  From top:  Ricky Wasson, Josh Graves, J.D. Crowe, Earl Scruggs, and Alan Bibey

Clay also plays a 1983 D-28 Martin Limited Edition Herringbone Brazilian Rosewood Guitar, which belonged to the late Harold (Red) Taylor of Salisaw, OK.

Cody Frost  cody@commontyme.net
Go to Cody's Web Site

Cody started playing when he was 10. At age 11 he started playing with a local guitar player named Royce Campbell. When he was 12 he placed 2nd in the Oklahoma State Guitar contest. In 1996 he joined a gospel-bluegrass band called the Lively Stones from Sand Springs. He performed the Great American Music Festival in Silver Dollar City for 5 consecutive years. In 1998, 1 month after marrying his lovely wife April, Cody joined Jana Jae (of Hee-Haw fame) and toured around the country as a member of her band Hotwire. Since he first started, Cody has played with many friends and family around the local area. In 2002 he competed for the first time in the National Flatpick Championship in Winfield, KS and came away with 2nd place. (visit http://www.wvfest.com/ for more info.) Over the years he has learned to pick up on a few other instruments such as mandolin, bass, and banjo, with guitar being his main focus. Cody is very proud of his two precious baby girls Dalyn and Lani, and hopes someday they will be pickers too!

Cody plays a Collings D2H guitar  and a 1946 Martin D18 guitar

Scott Schmidt

Photo by  Em Johnson, Ragmyn Photography- Click on Photo for Larger Photo  4 Meg

Scott Schmidt  scott@commontyme.net  

Scott Schmidt lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and plays the mandolin for Common Tyme. Scott has an incredible musical background. He started Suzuki violin at age 3, and switched to mandolin at age 10.  He picked up the guitar at age 12.  In September 2002, at the age of 16, Scott took 1st place in the National Mandolin Championship  in Winfield, KS after having placed 3rd in 2001.  He is a spokesman for Weber mandolins. www.soundtoearth.com/play_scottschmidt.htm  Scott has a most distinctive style, with the cleanest picking around, and an unmistakable, solid rhythm technique.  Scott loves to try new styles, such as Celtic, Jazz and Classical music, playing anything from Bach to Bluegrass.

Scott Plays a Weber Custom Big Sky Varnish mandolin, a Weber Yellowstone Mandolin and a Santa Cruz D/PW guitar, as well as a wide collection of other stringed instruments.

  James Womack  james@commontyme.net

 James now lives in Choctaw, OK and provides powerful bluegrass vocals for CommonTyme. James sings lead and tenor for the group and plays rhythm guitar. While growing up in southern Oklahoma, James played in his family's band, The Hat Top Mountain Boys. James's father, a minister, taught him how to play the mandolin at age 6 and the guitar at age 8. He has been playing bluegrass and gospel music ever since.  Previously, James performed in the group Southbound before coming over to CommonTyme. God has blessed James with what many call that "high lonesome" sound. Coupled together with the vocals of Todd Woodward, the voices blend into a true "brother" sound in the traditional style of Ralph and Carter Stanley. Off stage James is a high school basketball coach and English teacher. He also enjoys spending time with his lovely wife, Joanna and his son Isaac.

LarriveeJames Plays a Larrivee Guitar

Todd Woodward   todd@commontyme.net 

 Todd is a fabulous Bluegrass singer, and sings tenor and lead vocals for the group. Todd's tight harmony along with his talented bass playing provide the glue that brings the band together. Since the age of 10, Todd has been involved in music and is quite an accomplished guitar player. A fewyears ago he made the switch to Bluegrass and has never looked back. Recently, he and James played in the band Southbound before coming over to Common Tyme. During his time off stage, Todd collects and shows vintage tractors with his father. He has quite a collection of "Johnny Poppers." Todd is also a devoted husband to his wife, Shelly and a loving father to his two sons Mason and Bradley.

Todd Plays a Great Sounding EM-1 EngelHardt Bass

Although Jerry has gone on to play in a much better place
than on this earth, he will always be a part of this band.
To learn more about Jerry, please visit our web page section
dedicated to the man who founded Common Tyme.
Dedication to Jerry Howland
Jerry Howland

Jerry has been playing Banjo since the early age of eleven, and has 11 years experience on the banjo. He learned to play banjo from Mike Lilly, Noah Crase and Ellie Carl. Jerry grew up in a small town in Southern Ohio, Springboro Ohio. Jerry moved to Oklahoma at the age of 18 on his own and has really taken to the Oklahoma Hospitality the past 22 years.  Music was always in his home growing up, His father still sings and play's  music in The Franklin Free Will Baptist Church regularly and introduced  Jerry to Bluegrass at a very early age. Denver Howland , Jerry's father taught him the guitar at the age 7. Jerry was fortunate to grow up in the Dayton - Miami Valley area as there were many great Bluegrass musicians in the area at the time. During this time Jerry learned to play Bass, Guitar, mandolin before settling on the Banjo. Jerry stopped playing for 18 years soon after moving to Oklahoma, but after a long vacation away from Bluegrass he is more determined than ever now to play the music he so loves.   Most of Jerry's family lives  in Southern Ohio ,Kentucky and Oklahoma. Jerry lives in Blanchard Oklahoma with his loving wife Karen of 21 years and Daughters Katie 16 and Kearsten 12. I want to thank my wife for putting up with me all these years. I love you Karen.  

Jerry Plays a lovely Gibson Granada see pictures here and also one Hot Sounding  1967 Gibson Rb-800 , Restored by Steve Huber and Don Thomas.

  Common Tyme Band Members express appreciation to all of our family and friends for their interest and dedication and Support.

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