Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Trish Imbrogno

Mike Palm TribLive Mon, Dec 15, 2025 • 08:05 AM

Pittsburgh bluegrass musician Trish Imbrogno (Courtesy of artist)

Trish Imbrogno described her debut EP, “Bluegrass Love Songs, Volume One,” as leaning into the “gentler” side of bluegrass love songs, or in other words, “the heartbreakers where nobody ends up in a river.

“These are familiar classics with a clean, modern touch, plus a few instrumentals that say just as much without words,” she said.

Released in November, the EP was recorded and engineered by Christopher Henry, coming together with a sense of ease and joy, according to Imbrogno.

”What makes this project especially meaningful is who’s on it. I wanted to record with women who’ve shaped bluegrass and opened doors for the rest of us, and I still can’t believe they all said yes,” she said. “Dede Wyland, Murphy Henry, Becky Buller and Rainy Miatke each brought a depth of experience and a real sense of generosity to the music, and you can hear their intention in every note.

Those collaborators helped to transform the music into something special.

“Recording this EP with musicians I’ve admired for years was surreal in the best way,” she said. “Hearing Becky Buller play a fiddle line over my bass parts? Dede Wyland singing harmony to my lead? Playing alongside a woman who plays every note just like Ralph Stanley and Earl Scruggs? Those were pinch-me moments. The other amazing part has been how supportive the Pittsburgh community has been. People have been cheering this project on from the very first idea.”

Imbrogno noted that the Western Pa. bluegrass community has a deeper history than many may realize.

”From the Elizabeth Moose Lodge to Mountain Top Campground and Walsh’s, this region hosted major artists for decades, supported by long-running radio shows like Bruce Mountjoy’s ‘Bluegrass Jam Session’ and Larry Berger’s ‘Saturday Light Brigade,’” she said. “Today the scene is thriving, with weekly jams at places like the Starlite Lounge (every Tuesday night for 25 years and counting!) and support from venues including Allegheny City Brewing, Calliope’s folk school, and Acoustic Music Works.”

As far as being open to women, she said there’s movement in the right direction but still work to do.

”The bluegrass community here is friendly, but the stages don’t always reflect that. If you look at the lineups of most bluegrass bands around Pittsburgh, you won’t see many women — and that’s something I’m hoping to help change,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons I started the Grass Gals: to create opportunities for women to be visible, to play together and to be part of the musical conversation in a genre where we’re still too often left out.”

While the banjo might be the instrument most associated with bluegrass, Imbrogno said the upright bass plays a key role.

”The bass is the heartbeat. It holds the rhythm, frames the groove and gives everyone else the freedom to soar,” she said. “In bluegrass, the bass is both grounding and propulsive. You’re not flashy, but you’re essential. I love knowing that the band can lean on me.”

Imbrogno filled in TribLive on what else we should know about her music:

Musician: Trish Imbrogno (Trish Plays Bass)

Band members: “Bluegrass Love Songs, Volume One” features an incredible lineup of women in bluegrass: Dede Wyland (vocals, guitar); Murphy Henry (banjo, vocals); Becky Buller (fiddle); Rainy Miatke (mandolin); Trish Imbrogno (upright bass)

Founding story: I came to bluegrass later in life, after more than two decades of playing classical music. I was invited to play a bluegrass night here in Pittsburgh around 2012, and that was it. The energy, the people, the whole feel of the music — I was hooked. I kept showing up, learning the repertoire and slowly becoming part of the community. That, along with becoming involved in the national bluegrass world, eventually led me to recording this EP.

Origin of band’s name: “Trish Plays Bass” started as a bit of a joke. People around Pittsburgh just started calling me that (and with a name like Imbrogno, it probably was easier!) When I started thinking about social media handles, it stuck. Eventually it became the “brand” tied to the EP as well.

For fans of: Alison Krauss & Union Station, Della Mae, Sister Sadie, The Johnson Mountain Boys, Flatt & Scruggs, Del McCoury, The Stanley Brothers, and other traditional bluegrass artists.

Influences: I draw inspiration from all corners of bluegrass: Hazel Dickens, Missy Raines, Mike Bub, Alan Bartram and the timeless recordings of Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanleys and Bill Monroe. Locally, I learned the canon by going to the Tuesday night jam at the Starlite Lounge in Blawnox, and I have deep respect for the musicians who shaped this region’s sound: the Allegheny Drifters, John and Wendy Mackin Band, Mac Martin, The Dog Run Boys, Jason Ericsson, Matt Efaw and RFD, and many others.

Video: I don’t have a video directly tied to the album, but I recently took over the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Instagram Stories, which turned into a mini documentary about Pittsburgh’s bluegrass past and present:

Featured Local Businesses

More local businesses

Releases: My only release under my own name is “Bluegrass Love Songs, Volume One,” a collection of classic bluegrass “love songs where nobody ends up in a river.” But my discography is fairly extensive. I’ve recorded with a wide range of artists across Pittsburgh and beyond, including: Pittsburgh artists: Molly Alphabet, Sweaty Already String Band, Ol Whitetail, The Casual Hobos, Reliable Child, Lauren DeMichiei, Dan Getkin & the Twelve Six, Chet Vincent, Grant Street Grifters, Shelf Life String Band, and Emily Pinkerton. National projects: Elray Jackson (Nashville), Joe McGuinness (Atlanta) and Crandall Creek (West Virginia).

Next shows: Dec. 20 at Fermata Brewing in Ambridge with Sweaty Already String Band; Jan. 4 at Allegheny City Brewing for open bluegrass jam

How to find her: She can be found on her website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Three other Pittsburgh area bands to check out:John and Wendy Mackin Band, Flyin’ Oaks and any band where Jason Ericsson plays banjo.

Favorite pizza shop: The Birdville pie from Phillippi’s in Natrona Heights (the original was at P&M Pizza in Arnold).

Pittsburgh local music spotlight: Trish Imbrogno

Featured Local Businesses

Related