Salt Martians Bluegrass Band: Meet the Martians

S a l t M a r t i a n s

B l u e g r a s s B a n d

The Salt Martians are a Santa Barbara-based, all-acoustic bluegrass band. Ken Gaston (lead vocals and guitar) and Tim Mullins (banjo, dobro and harmony vocals) first performed together in the mid-Seventies at the legendary Bluebird Cafe. Mark Olson (mandolin and harmony vocals) of North Fork, CA and formerly of the Live Oak String Band, adds his (relatively) youthful spark to the band. The newest member, Phil Pritchard (string bass and harmony vocals) has over forty years in bluegrass with the Floyd County Boys, giving the Martians almost four thousand Earth years of combined playing experience. Their enthusiasm for playing together and enjoyment of both traditional and contemporary bluegrass music are virulently contagious.

Their name comes from the Carpinteria Salt Marsh, one of the last remaining coastal estuaries in California.

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