JAKE WORKMAN

Rebekah Workman

Rebekah Workman has been fascinated with music since she was very young.  Growing up she learned to love and appreciate bluegrass music, due to the fact that her mom and dad constantly listened to it.  She got a violin for Christmas when she was 8 years old.  Rebekah practiced hard and began to enter contests with just 2 years of playing experience. Rebekah won the Utah State fiddle championship in her division 3 times and placed 15th in the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho in her division as well. Despite success in competition, she longed to play music by ear rather than learn to just play an arrangement the same way again and again. Rebekah began learning the art of improvisation from involvement in the Utah Old Time Fiddlers and expanded her improv skills by playing in a number of different bands throughout her high school years. While playing at a jam session in Utah, a chance meeting with a young guitar player named Jake Workman gave Rebekah the chance to add to her incredible skill and opportunities to perform. Before she knew it she was married to the guitar player and they have since played in many various groups together.

Jake Workman

Jake Workman began playing the guitar when he received one for his 13th birthday in 2001. A year and a half later after starting the guitar, Jake’s introduction to bluegrass music came when his parents surprised him with a banjo for Christmas. Jake’s love for bluegrass grew heavily over the next few years as he attended jams and festivals throughout the Western states and eventually the entire country. He entered many instrument contests and won many titles on guitar, banjo and mandolin. In 2007 while attending the National Flat Pick Guitar Championship in Winfield, Kansas, Jake met other musicians that later would help form the Midwest-based band, Driven. Jake has also played in Salt Lake City based groups Cold Creek, The Aaron Ashton Band, and the Jake and Rebekah Workman Band. In late 2015 he got the call from Ricky Skaggs to join his award-winning band, Kentucky Thunder, and is still there currently. He has a degree in jazz guitar performance from the University of Utah. When not performing, he teaches private lessons, composes and does session work. His 2019 record, Landmark, showcases his writing ability as well as his seasoned playing. Jake was featured on the cover of the May/June 2015 issue of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and in 2020 he was awarded the IBMA Bluegrass Guitar Player of the Year.