Take Rob Ickes, the most decorated musician in IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards history with 15 Dobro Player of the Year wins, and 2023 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Trey Hensley, a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy identified as “Nashville's hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine and you have Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, a powerhouse GRAMMY®-nominated acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, Ickes and Hensley cleverly meld bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jam grass, and more to create a signature musical blend that defies restrictions of genre.
Ickes & Hensley have collaborated with Vince Gill, Tommy Emmanuel (including touring and the release of an EP together), Taj Mahal, Little Feat, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Marty Stuart, Rodney Crowell, Steve Wariner, David Grisman, Molly Tuttle, Jorma Kaukonen, and Hot Tuna, among many others.
Ickes, a former founding member of bluegrass "supergroup" Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Tony Rice and many more. Ickes was a key member of Willie Nelson's band for the GRAMMY®-nominated 2023 Willie Nelson album, Bluegrass.
Hensley made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11, performing with Marty Stuart and Earl Scruggs (thanks to an invite from Stuart), and has since appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton, Charlie Daniels and Old Crow Medicine Show. He was chosen to perform in December 2022 as part of special 2-night-only engagement with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and many special guests celebrating the 50 Anniversary of Will The Circle Be Unbroken at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
The new critically acclaimed, song-centric Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley album, Living In A Song—produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/engineer/songwriter Brent Maher (The Judds, Elvis Presley, Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner)—is available now. Ickes and Hensley's Living In A Song Tour 2023 has included many headline dates, plus performances with Little Feat, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rodney Crowell, and Jorma Kaukonen. Ickes and Hensley were invited to perform at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Los Angeles in September 2023 alongside some of the world's greatest guitarists.
On October 27, 2023, a project entitled A Tribute To The Judds was released worldwide by BMG. Ickes and Hensley collaborated with Molly Tuttle on "John Deere Tractor," which was featured on the album, alongside an all-star artist cast including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Gabby Barrett, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and many more.
