Bluegrass Sunday with the Hastings Brothers
Don’t miss our 9:30am Sunday morning worship service on February 26, as leading our worship and singing and playing many bluegrass hymns and songs will be The Hastings Brothers, a local bluegrass band. Be sure and bring your friends and family to this special music Sunday!
The Hastings Brothers, Art and Lloyd, have been the core of both a Bluegrass and Rock band for many years. They started playing in their church youth group back in Hootenanny Days of their early teens along with Dan at Montebello United Methodist Church. The three have been friends and played together on and off for over half a century honing their skills and leading contemporary and Bluegrass music in several churches across Southern California. Dan currently tours with Moonsville Collective playing a variety of instruments.
Bob, an award-winning master of the harmonica, has played professionally locally and internationally with several accomplished Blues bands including Blues Bar-B-Que. He was introduced to Art and Lloyd about 30 years ago to play for a local party and they have been playing together ever since.
An accomplished and well-known local bass player and singer in Rock and Gypsy Jazz groups including Hedgehog Swing and LarisaStow and Shakti Tribe, Benj recently joined The Hastings Brothers adding his considerable expertise.
Three members of the group, Lloyd, Bob and Benj are very local, living in Belmont Heights a few blocks from one another. Art resides in Whittier, Dan in La Mirada.
Roughly a couple of decades ago, The Hastings Brothers realized that their passion for Bluegrass music in a worship setting could extend to leading with that style for the entire service sharing the spirit with all in the congregation. They have since led Bluegrass Sundays at the former First United Methodist Church of Long Beach, Belmont Heights United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church of Whittier, Fullerton United Methodist Church, La Mirada United Methodist Church and Bay Shore Community Church.
Members are:
Art Hastings – Guitar and Lead Vocals
Lloyd Hastings – Banjo, Guitar, Dobro, and Vocals
Bob Landgraff – Harmonica, Percussion and Vocals
Dan Richardson – Mandolin and Vocals
Benj Clarke – Bass and Vocals