Scott Hopkins Roots Trio with Special Guest Luke Franco

The Scott Hopkins Roots Trio brings together three exceptional musicians with a shared love of tradition, exploration, and the joy of making music together. Featuring Scott Hopkins on banjo, Lou Smaldone on bass, and Brian Melick on percussion, the trio creates a rich, genre-crossing sound rooted in bluegrass and Americana while drawing freely from blues, jazz, country, and Latin influences.

At the center is banjoist Scott Hopkins, a lifelong student of music whose journey began listening to Flatt & Scruggs and The Stanley Brothers on records played by his father. Hopkins later immersed himself in music through formal study at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and the University of Connecticut, building a career that bridges traditional roots music and sophisticated musicianship.

His acclaimed solo recordings feature collaborations with many of the most respected names in bluegrass and acoustic music, including Tony Trischka, Mike Compton, Becky Buller, Casey Driessen, and Joe Newberry. In addition to performing, Hopkins is a dedicated educator who teaches band at Duanesburg Central School District and leads workshops and camps at institutions including The Ashokan Center, Banjo Camp North, and Wernick Method Bluegrass Jam Camps. He also founded the growing Ashokan Banjo Weekend in 2023.

Bassist Lou Smaldone is a familiar and respected presence throughout the Capital Region jazz scene, while percussionist Brian Melick is widely sought after for his versatility across genres and his deeply creative rhythmic approach.

Special guest Luke Franco joins the evening on guitar. A graduate of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he studied jazz guitar, Franco performs extensively throughout the Berkshires and New York’s Capital Region, bringing lyrical musicianship and improvisational depth to every performance.

This is roots music with wide-open ears. One moment, the trio locks into the drive and sparkle of bluegrass; the next, they drift into jazz improvisation, deep grooves, or global rhythms shaped by Melick’s inventive percussion work, including his passion for the Udu, an ancient clay drum with a haunting, earthy sound. Together, the musicians create performances that feel both grounded and adventurous.

SAMPLE SONG

Together, the Scott Hopkins Roots Trio delivers performances that are joyful, masterful, and deeply connected to the spirit of live music itself. As Tanya Tobias-Tomis of the Lake George Arts Project put it, “With Scott, Lou, and Brian, it's not just a show; it's an experience.”

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