The Tuttles with A.J. Lee

The Tuttles with AJ Leefirst met and jammed together at the 2004 California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival. The excitement and fun of those jams sparked friendships among the young musicians, and soon parents were shuttling kids and instruments back and forth across the San Francisco Bay to play music and spend time together. Jack, his children, and AJ began performing together and in 2008 they formed The Tuttle’s with AJ Lee. Molly, Sullivan and Michael Tuttle are taught by their father Jack, who has taught bluegrass music for the past 30 years at Gryphon Stringed Instruments, while also performing professionally. Jack, in turn, was inspired to learn bluegrass by his father, Gerald Tuttle, who formed the original Tuttle Family Band many decades ago on the family’s farm in Illinois. Molly, Sullivan and Michael grew up listening to Jack practice each night in the living room. Curious, they experimented — strumming the various instruments their father owned and singing favorite songs. When they were ready, Jack began nightly lessons — allowing them to try out guitar, banjo, mandolin and fiddle. After several years of practice they had the chops to perform in public — and the all-new Tuttle Family Band was born. "This band is on a trajectory to fame – intense and passionate vocals, precise and complex instrumentation and an engaging and varied song selection.”–Brenda Hough, California Bluegrass Association CD Reviewer www.thetuttleswithajlee.com