Homer Alaska - Arts -

"It kind of occurred to me to pull the fiddle out and see if I could play it, and it worked out," Krohn said in a telephone interview from his home in Omaha, Neb.

"It came back well. It came back better than before. It's a lot more comfortable for me to play now," he added.

Krohn returns to Alaska this month when he brings the other members of his Omaha bluegrass band, Southpaw, up for a two-week tour. Southpaw plays next weekend, Aug. 15-16 at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik and at 7 p.m. Aug. 17 at Alice's Champagne Palace.

The son of Marti and Ron Krohn of Homer, Josh Krohn, 29, was born in Omaha and moved to Homer at age 5. He learned to play violin with the Suzuki method at age 2. With older brother Andy, the Krohns played in music contests in Nebraska and then in Alaska after they moved here in 1984. Josh Krohn continued taking lessons in Alaska with the later Karen Hornaday.

"She was a fabulous music teacher," he said.

At age 9 in 1988, he won the juniors contest at the Alaska State Fair, beating his older brother. A Homer News article about his prize said Krohn wowed the judges with a blazing version of "Ragtime Annie."

"Now that's a fiddler," one man said at the contest.

Krohn graduated from high school mostly correspondence classes at age 16 and got an associate of art degree from Kachemak Bay Campus at 18. He went to the Alaska Vocational Technical Center in Seward and then moved back to Omaha in 2000. He now works as production coordinator for KVNO public radio in Omaha.

Southpaw started about 2003. The five-man group gets its name from Steve Hoiberg, a left-handed banjo player and one of four songwriters including Krohn in the band. Krohn joined the group in January 2007.

On its Web site, Southpaw describes its music as "Nebraska grass," a Midwestern variation on traditional Appalachian bluegrass and folk music.

"There's a little difference in the songwriting style," Krohn said. "We tend to write more songs that have a minor feel" that is, a sadder sound.

Southpaw just released its first CD, "Southpaw Bluegrass Band," available at its Web site and on sale at Solstice Music. Krohn's instrumental composition, "Lazarus Soul," is typical of the band's more somber sound. Another of his songs, "Mr. Serious" is anything but.

Photo provided The members of Southpaw Bluegrass Band. From left to right are Chris Hunke, bass; Josh Krohn, fiddle-vocals; Steve Hoiberg, banjo-vocals; Justin Kephart, mandolin-vocals and David Fleming, guitar-vocals.

All of the songs on Southpaw's debut CD were written by Krohn, Hoiberg, mandolin player Justin Kephart or guitarist David Fleming. Bass player Chris Hunke also has started to write music.

"Between the five of us, we're coming up with material pretty fast," Krohn said.

Southpaw now has a repertoire of about 40 original songs and knows about 90 traditional pieces a play list deep enough for two more CDs.

"The traditional styles are easier for people to listen to they're easier to tap your foot to," Krohn said. "Good stuff: people shouldn't forget about it."

Krohn said although he's coming back to Alaska, it will be a first trip here for the rest of the group.

"I feel like I'm going to be the tour guide for most of the time," he said. "It's going to be a blast being up here."

The Alice's gig will be especially fun, Krohn said. He remembered seeing other bands play there.

"I'm really looking forward to (Alice's)," he said. "That's something I've always wanted to do."

The trip back to Homer also will be fun, Krohn said.

"I look forward to seeing some people I hung out with there and hopefully sharing some music with them," he said.

For samples of Southpaw's music, visit www.southpawbluegrassband.com.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.