Live performances:

Parker Hill Road Bluegrass Band offers a variety of musical experiences to suit any occasion. Whether you're planning a public event, a private party, or music festival, our versatile repertoire and professional delivery guarantee a memorable performance.

The band has played at numerous venues throughout New England including the Eastern States Exposition (a/k/a The Big E), the Jerry Jam, the Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival, the Smith Meeting House Bluegrass Festival, the Hayseed Bluegrass Festival, the North Country Moose Festival and Catamount Arts Bluegrass Shows, as well as concerts at Old Home Days and bandstands throughout the North Country.

Bring the vibrant energy of live bluegrass to your private gathering. Ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations, we create a lively and engaging atmosphere for your guests.

Elevate your event, festival, or public gathering with the professional sound of Parker Hill Road. We tailor our setlist to create the perfect ambiance for any audience.

"Parker Hill Road Bluegrass Band is absolutely fantastic! Their harmonies are incredible, and they truly know how to get a crowd moving. We've had them play at several of our annual festivals, and they are always a crowd favorite. Highly recommended!"

                                                                                                                                                                         — Festival organizer, New England

Meet the band:

Chris Cate

Chris was a founding member of Parker Hill Road and is the designated leader of the band. He grew up in northern New Hampshire, graduating from Lisbon High School. Chris learned to play bass from Ronnie Howard. He and his twin brother, Tim, performed in a successful rock band while in high school. After graduating, he entered the U.S. Navy serving in their famed construction battalion known as the "Seabees." Upon returning home he worked various jobs until finally retiring from New England Wire. Chris played Bluegrass in the Strawberry Farm Band for six years until he left to form the Parker Hill Road. Chris loves playing music and is highly sought after as  bass player for local jams when he is not playing with the band.

Tim Cate

Tim plays mandolin with the band. He was at the original jam that lead to the formation of the band, but had to leave the area to finish his career in the U.S. Air Force where he was stationed in Mississippi. While in the South Tim played in a Bluegrass band called Southern Tradition. Upon his retirement Tim and his family returned to New Hampshire where Tim started a second career in the technology department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Paul Amey

Paul was born and raised on a family dairy farm in the beautiful Indian Stream valley of northern New Hampshire. He learned to play the fiddle at an early age from a local music legend, Leo Brooks. The band was performing at a fairground up north when one of the organizers asked if we would mind a fiddle player sitting in with us for a couple of tunes. As they say, he rest is history. Except for a hiatus during Covid Paul has been providing his unique talents on fiddle and vocals ever since.

Michael "Woody" Woods

Woody is another founding member of the band. Raised in Keene, New Hampshire, Woody moved to the Lisbon area as a young man. He had been playing banjo for many years when he chanced to meet Chris in a laundry mat. The two started jamming together and have been playing together ever since. Woody spent most of his working years as a logger and carpenter. Woody's unique personality and unique playing style have made him a consistent crowd pleaser over the years.

Tom Rappa

Tom was raised in southern New Jersey but came to northern Vermont to attend college at Middlebury. After college a job brought him to Bath, NH where he has lived ever since. Shortly after coming to the area he was given an opportunity to join the newly formed Strawberry Farm Band and played Bluegrass with them for the next thirty six years. After working ten years after college as a carpenter, logger, and farmer he made a life changing choice and entered law school. Building a successful law practice led to his appointment as a judge in what is now called the New Hampshire Circuit Court, where he served on the bench for thirty-three years until his retirement. During that time Chris joined the Strawberry Farm Band and played with Tom in that group for about six years until he asked Tom to join him in forming what became the Parker Hill Road. (Chris lived on Parker Hill Road at the time.)

Ben Natti

Ben grew up listening to Parker Hill Road as a young man while going to school with the sons of Woody, Chris and Tom who were known as the "Band Boys." Ben was a guitar virtuoso by the time he graduated from high school and matriculated to the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation Ben was a highly sought after electric guitar player. Having tired of that scene Ben returned to this area. Tim hosted a wonderful party one summer eve where Ben borrowed Chris' Martin guitar and jammed with us around the campfire. He must have enjoyed it because he has been playing lead guitar with the band for about six years now.

Studio recording projects:

We have four studio albums under our belt. There are a limited numbers of CD's still available. As we continue to develope this site recordings from the projects will be added. So be sure to check back.

IN MEMORIUM:

Ronnie Howard:

Founding member

Bass / Mandolin / Vocals