Live performances:

Parker Hill Road Bluegrass Band offers a variety of musical experiences to suit any occasion. Whether you're planning a public event, a private party, or music festival, our versatile repertoire and professional delivery guarantee a memorable performance.

The band has played at numerous venues throughout New England including the Eastern States Exposition (a/k/a The Big E), the Jerry Jam, the Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival, the Smith Meeting House Bluegrass Festival, the Hayseed Bluegrass Festival, the North Country Moose Festival and Catamount Arts Bluegrass Shows, as well as concerts at Old Home Days and bandstands throughout the North Country. Many of these performances have been recorded and posted on YouTube by private individuals. Check them out.

Bring the vibrant energy of live bluegrass to your private gathering. Ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations, we create a lively and engaging atmosphere for your guests.

Elevate your event, festival, or public gathering with the professional sound of Parker Hill Road. We tailor our setlist to create the perfect ambiance for any audience. 

In addition to the professional appearances several of the band members have RV's and enjoy camping together from time to time, which leads to some fun nights jamming around the campfire with family and friends.

"Parker Hill Road Bluegrass Band is absolutely fantastic! Their harmonies are incredible, and they truly know how to get a crowd moving. We've had them play at several of our annual festivals, and they are always a crowd favorite. Highly recommended!"

                                                                                                                                                                         — Festival organizer, New England

Meet the band:

Chris Cate

Chris was a founding member of Parker Hill Road and is the designated leader of the band. He grew up in northern New Hampshire, graduating from Lisbon High School. Chris learned to play bass from Ronnie Howard. He and his twin brother, Tim, performed in a successful rock band while in high school. After graduating, he entered the U.S. Navy serving in their famed construction battalion known as the "Seabees." Upon returning home he worked various jobs until finally retiring from New England Wire. Chris played Bluegrass in the Strawberry Farm Band for six years until he left that band to form the Parker Hill Road. Chris loves playing music and is a highly sought after bass player for local jams when he is not playing with the band. Chris is married to his lovely wife, Karen.

Tim Cate

Tim plays mandolin with the band. He was at the original jam that led to the formation of the band, but had to leave the area to finish his career in the U.S. Air Force where he was stationed in Mississippi. While down south Tim played in two Bluegrass bands - Shades of Gray and Against the Grain. Upon his retirement Tim and his family returned to New Hampshire where Tim started a second career in the technology department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He retired from that position a few years ago. Tim has been married to his lovely wife, Lori, for forty-five years. Lori plays the bass and performed with Tim's bands when they were living down south.

Paul Amey

Paul was born and raised on a family dairy farm in the beautiful Indian Stream valley of northern New Hampshire. He learned to play the fiddle at an early age from a local music legend, Leo Brooks. The band was performing at a fairground up north when one of the organizers asked if we would mind a fiddle player sitting in with us for a couple of tunes. As they say, the rest is history. Except for a hiatus during Covid Paul has been providing his unique talents on fiddle and vocals to the band ever since. In addition to our band, Paul helped form the folk trio Uncommon Folk that performed in this area for about fifteen years. He also did a five year stint in the Back Shed String Band. He can't get enough music. However, Paul is also a creative writer who contributes stories to the local papers primarily about life in days gone by. Paul served for over thirty years in the NH National Guard before his retirement. As if all that isn't enough, he also is a sugar maker producing excellent maple syrup in the Spring of each year; prolific gardener; skilled carpenter, excellent mechanic and all around good guy. Paul has been married to his lovely wife, Samantha, for sixteen years. Sam is also an excellent musician and performed with Uncommon Folk during their run.

Michael "Woody" Woods

Woody is another founding member of the band. Raised in Keene, New Hampshire, Woody moved to the Lisbon area as a young man. He had been playing banjo for many years when he chanced to meet Chris in a laundry mat. The two started jamming together and have been playing together ever since. Woody spent most of his working years as a logger and carpenter. Woody's unique personality and playing style have made him a consistent crowd favorite over the years. In addition to music, Woody is an avid deer hunter and master gardener. Woody has been married to his lovely wife, Rena, for almost forty years.

Tom Rappa

Tom was raised in southern New Jersey but came to northern Vermont to attend Middlebury College. After college a job brought him to Bath, NH where he has lived ever since. Shortly after coming to the area he was given an opportunity to join the newly formed Strawberry Farm Band and played Bluegrass with them for the next thirty six years. For ten years after college Tom worked as a carpenter, general contractor, logger, and farmer until he made a life changing choice and entered law school. Building a successful law practice led to his appointment as a judge in what is now called the New Hampshire Circuit Court, where he served on the bench for thirty-three years until his retirement. During that time Chris joined the Strawberry Farm Band and played with Tom in that group for about six years until he asked Tom to join him in forming what became the Parker Hill Road. (Chris lived on Parker Hill Road at the time.) Tom has been married to his lovely wife, Dianne, for forty-six years. Dianne jams with the band on her cajon from time to time.

Ben Natti

Ben grew up listening to Parker Hill Road as a young man while going to school with the sons of Woody, Chris and Tom who were known as the "Band Boys." Ben was a guitar virtuoso by the time he graduated from high school and matriculated to the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation Ben was a highly sought after electric guitar player. Having tired of that scene, Ben returned to this area. Sometime thereafter, Tim hosted a wonderful party one summer eve during which Ben borrowed Chris' Martin guitar and jammed with us around the campfire. He must have enjoyed it because he has been playing lead guitar with the band for about six years now. Ben is still single.

Studio recording projects:

The band has four studio albums under our belt. There are a limited numbers of CD's still available. As we continue to develop this site recordings from the projects will be added. So be sure to check back.

"Wanted - The Hills of Time" was our second studio project. It was recorded and produced by our good friend, the late Wes Chapman, in his studio in Bath, NH. This project sold so well we had to order a second production run. At the time the band consisted of Chris Cate on bass and vocals; Tim Cate on mandolin and vocals; Mike Woods on banjo and Tom Rappa on guitar and vocals. Rudy Kellog added the fiddle. The title track, The Hills of Time, was written by Chris Cate. 

"Keep Playing the Music" was our third studio project, recorded in 2004. This project was also produced and recorded by Wes Chapmon. At the time of the initial recording the band consisted of Chris Cate on the bass and vocals; Tim Cate on the mandolin and vocals; Mike Woods on the banjo and Tom Rappa on the guitar and vocals. However, while the project was in the final stages of production Paul Amey joined the band. Fortunately, we were able to record Paul's fiddle and vocal parts for the final product. Wes Chapmon added the harmonica on the Beatles' song, Love Me Do. He also came up with the idea of adding the bonus track, Graveyard Shift, recorded to sound like an old time radio broadcast. Once again the title track, Keep Playing the Music, was written by Chris Cate. 

"Parker Hill Road - Live!" was recorded in 2010 at the Dorchester Grange Hall, Dorchester, NH by Wes Chapmon using a portable studio. The band had played at that venue many times and liked the sound in that old structure. We also enjoyed the audience that would appear there. As a result, during an Old Home Day performance we announced that we would like to come back in the fall to record the project and asked the folks to show up. When we came back that fall the place was full and the audience was wonderful. The project features an original song, Mr. Monroe, penned by Tom Rappa. 

IN MEMORIUM:

Ronnie Howard:

Founding member

Bass / Mandolin / Vocals