About Us
My Hometown is
Billy Bright - Mandolin, Mandola, Vocals & Songwriter
Billy attended Berklee College Of Music. Bright performed extensively with Bluegrass Hall of Famers
Peter Rowan, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements. He has been in two of the Austin Chronicle's Best New Bands.
Billy’s song “Listen tothe Rhododendron” was used in the Broadway play “Ann”. Billy played mandolin on
Peter Rowan & Don Edward's Grammy nominated "High Lonesome Cowboy" album, featuring Norman
Blake and Tony Rice. Bright was Grammy nominated for his work on Wood & Wire's "North of Despair".
He produced Bluegrass Hall of Famer Alan Munde's “LLoyd's of Lubbock", the 2024 IBMA nominated
Instrumental Recording of the Year. Billy teaches mandolin at festival workshops, music camps, Patreon
and Youtube via @Billy Bright’s Mandolin Channel.
Pat Manske Drums
Manske has toured and recorded with Texas legends Joe Ely, Alejandro Escovedo, The Flatlanders,
Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Bruce Robison. He was grammy nominated for
the Wood & Wire album“North of Despair”. Manske has performed on David Letterman, played Carnegie
Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. He has toured Europe and Australia with Joe Ely, The Flatlanders and
twice with Grammy nominee Eugene Hideaway Bridges. Manske has been the head engineer, producer
and manager for the Zone Recording Studio
since 2002.
Mike Morgan Bass, Vocals, Songwriter
Morgan has performed on an eclectic mix of albums from Peter Rowan to the Crazy World of Arthur Brown,
Allen Ginsburg, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Pam Tillis. Morgan was a founding member of Rhythmic Statues,
Flounders without Eyes, The WayneBillies, Big Mon and Peter Rowan’s Twang an Groove. Mike Morgan is
the owner, engineer and producer at The Zone Recording Studio in Dripping Springs, TX.
Chuck O’Connor Guitarist, Vocals Songwriter
O‘Connor joined Big Mon after returning to Austin Texas. He was a founding member of the reggae
band I-Tex and the Frontier Dub Boys, He has worked with Heather Masse, Robert Ellis Orrall, Jed Wilson,
Asleep at the Wheel, The Ash Family, Doc Toler, Al Hospers’ Valley Horns and Neal Ford.
Noah Jeffries Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals
Jeffries was a founding member of Austin’s own Milk Drive. Noah competed as a youngster in theNational
Old-time Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho. Eventually he migrated to Austin. He has performed with
bands including South Austin Jug Band, Fennario Flats, The Deer, Robert Earl Keen, Hayes Carll and
Jason Boland.