Alani Sugar- Fiddle
Alani Sugar first picked up the violin when she joined her schools orchestra at nine years old. She discovered bluegrass when she was thirteen and began taking lessons at a local music store. Since then, Alani has been making her mark on the Baltimore bluegrass scene through her rapidly advancing skill on bluegrass fiddle, paving the way for the next generation of bluegrass. |
Matthew Zuckerman- Dobro
Baltimore born and bred, Matthew Zuckerman has been playing music since age 17. During his early playing he was drawn to the blues slide technique of Robert Johnson and Fred McDowell. While attending University of Maryland, the surrounding funk and jam scene continued to influence his playing. It wasn't until 2014, while attending his first Delfest Bluegrass Festival, when his love for bluegrass music began. From there he continued to play music but was drawn to the slide technique of the Dobro guitar; especially the soulful playing of Josh Graves and the modern stylings of Andy Hall. The welcoming bluegrass community led him to attend the Baltimore Bluegrass jam, where he met the other members of Ghost Sugar. In addition to designing custom effects pedals for musicians around the world (noiseKICK FX), Matthew continues to play in various electric blues and rock projects around the Baltimore area. |
Taka Morishita- Guitar
Taka Morishita is originally from the land of the rising sun, Japan. His first encounter with Bluegrass was in college, when he was 18 years old. Right away, he joined the bluegrass community there and ended up spending almost 10 years before he finally earned his PhD (in Astrophysics). Taka came to Baltimore, the dreamland of bluegrass, in 2017, where he works as an astronomer for the discovery of unknown, exploration of the new world, and peace of the Universe. |
Shio Morishita- Bass
Shio Morishita was born in Sendai, Japan. She discovered bluegrass through a club in college, and was intrigued by the improvisational nature of bluegrass music and the idea of playing in a small band. She chose to play bass because she was interested in the role that it played in the bluegrass ensemble. After moving to Baltimore in 2017, Shio quickly found her place in the Baltimore bluegrass scene. |