Musician Tray Wellington has a truly one-of-a-kind story: As a teenager trying to learn rock riffs on the electric guitar, he stumbled upon the music of Doc Watson. Soon after that, he heard the five-string banjo.
For the last decade, Tray has devoted himself to that instrument, attending festivals, entering banjo contests, and even majoring in Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music studies at East Tennessee State University. He recently released his debut full-length album, 'Black Banjo.' It's a project where he gets to explore his passion for bluegrass, newgrass and beyond. He also reveals some not-so-traditional music influences, including interpretations of John Coltrane and Roy Hargrove compositions.