For over two decades, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Walden Dahl has been one of Southern California's best kept musical secrets. As a songwriter, he's had his originals recorded by bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley as well as current star Alison Krauss, who recently recorded Walden's "So Long So Wrong" as a title cut of her new album which became a number one hit song on the Bluegrass charts in 1997.

Dahl's musical associates point out his singing as his strongest attribute describing his aching tenor voice as "one of the best in the business." Walden is no slouch as a musician either as his versatility on mandolin, guitar, bass and fiddle have kept him busy in several of the West Coast's top bands.

He has also rubbed elbows with several Hollywood celebrities over the years, providing bluegrass entertainment, along with his band Grey Eagle, on the movie sets of Steve Martin, James Garner, Faye Dunaway who are all fans of the music. In 1981 Walden himself, was the subject of an excellent music documentary, "The High Lonesome Sound," produced by filmmaker Bob Rodat. Another group Dahl performs with, the Coyote Brothers, have been perennial favorites at Gene Autry birthday celebrations.

Walden's musical star appears to be on the rise with completed recently tours to the Far East and Europe. Dahl has also issued a long overdue solo CD, "Walden Dahl", that contains a nice blend of Bluegrass, Country and Western songs, which further enhances his reputation.

Born in Syracuse, New York, on September 17, 1952, Dahl spent much of his early childhood in Mexico before settling with his mother in California in 1962. Estelle Dahl was an amateur guitar player and she served as an early inspiration for her son's love of traditional music. Walden recalled that the Southern California region was alive with a lot of "old time country people".

Dahl became an avid collector of 1950's country music recordings such as George Jones, Lefty Frizell and Buck Owens as his favorites but he also loved the bluegrass sounds of the Stanley Brothers and Jim and Jesse. It wasn't until around 1969 that Walden saw his first live bluegrass band in Corona, California. Although the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band wasn't a typical bluegrass group, the members did play instruments that caught Walden's attention, namely the banjo and the mandolin. Walden recalled that he was "totally in awe" of the group's performance and he eventually began playing the mandolin because it was "cool looking".

During the early 70's Dahl began making the rounds at area bluegrass festivals meeting and jamming with a number of musicians. By 1975, confident of his mandolin playing, Walden became an early member of one of the region's longest running traditional bluegrass band Lost Highway. A desire to play a little more progressive bluegrass along the lines of the Country Gentlemen and the New South, led Dahl with a group of other musicians, to form the High Window Boys in 1977.

Described as a "very democratic band " the High Window Boys performed a mix of standard and progressive bluegrass as well as original material and "weirder stuff" like "Runaway" "Solitary Man" and even George Gershwin's " Summertime". Dahl, along with guitarist Bill Carter, split the lead singing with the group which originally included hot banjoist Craig Smith (later succeeded by the equally talented Alison Brown). The High Window Boys recorded a superb album for the local Lite Label in 1981 and made on to other ventures. Dahl, along with Tom Sauber also began playing as the Coyote Brothers, during the same period performing bluegrass with traditional western music. Both musicians are seen in the opening scene of "The High Lonesome Sound" with Walden singing a haunting version of "The Bonnie Blue-eyed Lass". The Coyote Brothers later recorded an album's worth of tunes (including Dahl's beautiful rendition if "The Old Paint Waltz").

Today in addition to the Walden Dahl Band, Walden keeps busy working with crack fiddle player Paul Shelasky in the groups Grey Eagle and the Sunshine Cowboys.