Band Members

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  Patrick Dressen

  Guitar, Vocals

  Pat is a South Dakota Native but has been in Colorado since the mid-60's. A multi-instrumentalist, Pat won the Colorado Flatpicking Guitar Championship in 1991 and the Rocky Mountain Mandolin Championship in 1994. He started playing drums and switched to guitar in his teens due to folk influences like Dave Van Ronk and The Jim Kweskin Jug Band. Pat has played in several bands in the Durango area including The Wild Geese, The Rusty Razor Band, The Marmot Mudflaps and Heart & Soul, and Tim Sullivan and Narrow Gauge. Pat is well-known throughout the Four Corners as one of the premier, most-versatile musicians around. Pat's traditional style, accuracy, energy on stage, and friendliness makes him one of the most entertaining members of the band. Pat's current guitar is a 2004 Martin D-18 Golden Era.

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  Robb Brophy

  Mandolin, Vocals

  Robb was born in Pueblo, Colorado and has lived most of his life in the west. Robb took up the banjo as a teenager with influences including The Eagles, Poco and Mason Prophet. Bluegrass was an easy transition from there and interest in the guitar and mandolin soon followed. He holds an Associates of Arts Degree in Bluegrass Music from South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. Most recently, Robb has become an excellent luthier, building both A and F style mandolins, under the trade name 'Elkhorn.' Robb's incredibly accurate rhythm and signature solos sets him apart from most mandolin players. The Badly Bent provides Robb the opportunity to showcase his talents, not just on mandolin, but also as the band's tenor singer. When he's not playing one of his own mandolins, Robb plays a 1993 Deluxe F Nugget, a highly sought-after instrument.

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  Mark Epstein

  Banjo, Vocals

  Mark is a native of Indianapolis Indiana. Mark has been living in Colorado since 1979. Mark has been playing bluegrass and acoustic music for 30 years in such bands as The New Edge City Ramblers (with Kathy Chiavola), On and On, the Untied String Ensemble, and Fret Knot. Mark learned bluegrass while at school at Indiana University, attending multiple Bean Blossom Bluegrass festivals. Mark's style is based on solid, traditional bluegrass banjo playing, emulated such banjo heros as Earl Scruggs, JD Crowe, Pete Wernick, Terry Baucom, and Alan O'Bryant. Mark has recently embarked on songwriting and has written several songs, both instrumental and vocal, for the band. He shares the lead and harmony vocals with Pat Dressen. His primary banjos are a 1929 Gibson PB-6 and a Nechville Vintage.

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  Jimmy Largent

  Bass

  Jimmy Largent, native Bayfield, Colorado, joined The Badly Bent in late 2006 and became an instantaneous success with the band. Jimmy, although significantly younger than the rest of the Bent boys, exhibits a level of maturity in his playing and attitude that is beyond his age. Jimmy started playing bass at the age of 9 with his dad, Jim Largent. He has played in a vaiety of bands and genres and has settled quite nicely, thank you, into his driving doghouse bluegrass style. The band is very fortunate to have Jimmy playing with us. Jimmy's main axe is a 1949 Kay - KILLER!