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AJ Lee & Blue Summit

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California bluegrass around a mandolinist who has been winning contests since childhood — tight harmony, West Coast looseness.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit are a string band from the Santa Cruz area of California, built around singer and mandolinist AJ Lee. She grew up in the Bay Area's active bluegrass scene, playing as a child in a family band led by fiddler and teacher Jack Tuttle alongside his children — including guitarist Sullivan Tuttle, who remains part of Blue Summit.

The group's sound leans on Lee's lead singing and close harmony vocals, with twin guitars, fiddle and bass rather than the banjo-forward attack of more traditional bluegrass. Their repertoire mixes original songs with material drawn from country, western swing and older pop, and the arrangements leave room for extended instrumental breaks. They have recorded for Signature Sounds and tour regularly outside California.

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