Draft:Kittel & Co.

Kittel & Co. is an American band that formed in 2015. The group is led by Grammy nominated composer Jeremy Kittel, with the current lineup including Josh Pinkham on mandolin, guitarist Quinn Bachand, bassist Jacob Warren, and Simon Chrisman on hammer-dulcimer. Other associated musicians include Nathaniel Smith and Ethan Jodziewicz. Jeremy Kittel Trio and Jeremy Kittel Band were former names of the group before pursuing as Kittel & Co. The group's sound draws influence from many acoustic styles including celtic, bluegrass, jazz, classical, folk, and more.

The band released their debut album Whorls in 2018 through Compass Records. 'Chrysalis', a track off of Whorls composed by Jeremy Kittel was nominated for a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. ; other nominees included John Williams and Terence Blanchard. Another track on Whorls titled 'Waltz' features guest vocalist Sarah Jarosz.

Kittel & Co. has played notable venues and festivals such as Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2017 (when formerly known as Jeremy Kittel Band), Kennedy Center , National Folk Festival (Australia) , Celtic Connections (UK) (when formerly known as The Jeremy Kittel Trio) , and Savannah Music Festival.

Critical Reception
Times UK expresses that, “(Kittel & Co.) takes the string band tradition to marvelously rarefied levels of collective virtuosity. Playing a repertoire from bluegrass to Bach to a strathspey and reel set… [they] sounded thrillingly spontaneous… Taking traditional music forward.”

The Berkshire Edge characterized Kittel & Co. as, “A conspicuously original blend of genres… As fleet fingers fly, aromas of far-flung musical traditions appear and vanish like musical will-o’-the-wisps… virtuosic improvisation at its very highest level…”

The Bluegrass Situation describes Whorls as, "an eleven-tune elemental soup of its own, invites listeners to envelop themselves in the cozy, metamorphic trappings that Kittel & Co. explored as they fashioned a new identity from their harlequin musical backgrounds and experiences."

A review from The Michigan Daily wrote of Kittel & Co.'s performance at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan that, "…A captivating and intimate performance… Kittel and Co. cultivated a rich and unique full band sound while effortlessly drifting between musical styles throughout the night… a must-see."