Allen Tolbert Unit Bluegrass Band from Birmingham, AL
Will travel up to 500 miles
- Avg 5.0 | 63 Reviews
- 91 Verified Bookings
- Member Since 2010
- 11 Awards & Badges
- Virtual Services Offered
About Vendor
Learn more about this vendor for your event.
With decades of professional experience, The Allen Tolbert Unit is an acoustic band with influences ranging from the Bluegrass sounds of Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury and Bill Monroe to the Jazz sounds of John Coltrane, David Grisman and Miles Davis to the newer sounds of The Avett Brothers, Nickel Creek, Old Crow Medicine Show and The Punch Brothers. Founded in 2009, the band has had the honor to play at many notable events such as the legendary Acoustic Cafe, Tuscaloosa Bicentennial, the Birmingham Folk Festival and the Briarwood Sportsmen’s’ Blast. The group also appeared on The Lost Child radio broadcast on Birmingham Mountain Radio. The Allen Tolbert Unit is known for its rich musical heritage. Our band members: Allen Tolbert has performed professionally in the southeast for over 30 years. A veteran of Birmingham-based Glenn Tolbert & Company for 17 years, Allen has made hundreds of appearances ranging from festivals, weddings, churches and private parties to radio and television appearances. He appeared as a featured guest on a special youth edition of the nationally-syndicated radio broadcast of the Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, as well as performing numerous times on the Country Boy Eddie Show on WBRC TV in Birmingham with many guests including Hank Williams III. His festival appearances include multiple performances at Horse Pens 40, as well as the iconic Foggy Hollow Bluegrass Gatherin' nearly 20 different times. His debut solo CD is scheduled to be released soon. Allen also teaches guitar and mandolin in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area, as well as throughout the world via FaceTime and various other online platforms. Steve Smith is an accomplished mandolin player with a distinctive, original style. Showcasing a masterful sense of rhythm and tasteful solos, Steve brings a rigid drive to the band that is unmatched. A renowned singer, Steve also provides harmony vocals for The Allen Tolbert Unit. He has over a decade of professional experience in the performing arts. Darrell Dawson has been playing electric bass since the 60's with influences such as The Beatles, The Yardbirds, Poco, and the Allman Brothers. In the 70's he travelled the USA with RCA country recording artist Gary Stewart. Bringing his rock and roll and country chops along with him, he played countless honky-tonks from Florida to Texas to California to New York City. In 2011 he moved to Alabama where he met Glenn Tolbert who convinced him to play upright bass and he hasn't looked back since.
Services
View a list of services offered by this vendor.
Reviews
Check out these verified reviews from bookings on The Bash.
Sort:
Review by Joel H.
Private Party•Reviewed on May 19, 2025•From Florence, AL
Review by Natalie S.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on October 20, 2024•From Lafayette, LA
Allen Tolbert Unit:
Natalie, we appreciate you and Andrew more than you will ever know!!!! You guys were very easy to plan with!!!!!! Thank you for being so amazing!!!!Review by Plum O.
Community Event•Reviewed on December 11, 2023•From Jasper, AL
Awards & Badges
See why this vendor is top rated on The Bash.
Song List
Get a feel for the songs performed by this vendor. Contact them directly for special requests.
- Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone | Jimmy Martin
- All Blues | Miles Davis
- All Good Times Are Past and Gone | Flatt and Scruggs
- Big Country | Jimmy Martin
- Big River | Johnny Cash
- Big Spike Hammer | The Osborne Brothers
- Blue Moon of Kentucky | Bill Monroe, Elvis
- Blue Night | Bill Monroe
- Blue Railroad Train | The Delmore Brothers
- Blue Ridge Cabin Home | Flatt and Scruggs
- Bringing in the Georgia Mail | Charlie Monroe
- Caravan | Duke Ellington
- Chim Chim Cheree | Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke
- Cold on the Shoulder | Gordon Lightfoot
- Crazy Train | Ronnie Bowman
- Crying Holy unto the Lord | Osborne Brothers
- Darling Corey | Monroe Brothers
- Don't Give Your Heart to a Rambler | Jimmy Martin
- Don't You Ever | Big Smith
- Driving Nails in My Coffin | Ernest Tubb, Rhonda Vincent
- E. M. D. | David Grisman
- Folsom River Blues | Johnny Cash
- Fox on the Run | The Country Gentlemen
- Freeborn Man | Jimmy Martin
- Galveston Flood | The Country Gentlemen
- Girl From the North Country | Bob Dylan
- Gold Rush | Bill Monroe
- Head Over Heels | Flatt and Scruggs
- Hit Parade of Love | Jimmy Martin
- House of the Rising Sun | The Animals
- How Mountain Girls Can Love | Dr. Ralph Stanley
- I Ain't Broke (But I'm Badly Bent) | David Grisman
- I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow | The Stanley Brothers
- I Am A Pilgrim | Merle Travis
- I Know You Rider | The Grateful Dead
- I'll Fly Away | Albert Brumley
- I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome | Bill Monroe and Hank Williams Sr.
- I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky | Bill Monroe
- Is This Love | Bob Marley
- Jerusalem Ridge | Bill Monroe
- John Hardy | Traditional
- Katy Daley | Dr. Ralph Stanley
- Little Georgia Rose | Bill Monroe
- Little Maggie | The Stanley Bothers
- Little Sadie | Traditional
- Long Gone | Reno & Smiley
- Love Please Come Home | Reno & Smiley; Old and In the Way
- Manzanita | Tony Rice
- Me and My Guitar | James Taylor
- Midnight Rider | The Allman Brothers
- Milk Cow Blues | Kokomo Arnold/Robert Johnson
- Molly and Tenbrooks | Bill Monroe
- Mr. P. C. | John Coltrane
- Muleskinner Blues | Jimmie Rodgers/Bill Monroe
- My Favorite Things | Rodgers and Hammerstein
- Nature Boy | eden ahbez; Nat King Cole
- Nine Pound Hammer | Merle Travis
- No Mother or Dad | Flatt and Scruggs
- Old Joe Clark | Traditional
- On and On | Bill Monroe
- One Way Track | Boone Creek
- Poor Richard's Blues | Sam Bush
- Red Haired Boy | Traditional
- Rocky Top | The Osborne Brothers
- Sally Goodin' | Traditional
- Salt Creek | Bill Monroe
- Shady Grove | Traditional
- Somehow Tonight | Flatt and Scruggs
- Summertime | George Gershwin
- Swing That Hammer | Lonesome River Band
- The Last Thing On My Mind | Tom Paxton
- The Old Home Place | The Dillards; J.D. Crowe and the New South
- Today I Started Loving You Again | Merle Haggard
- Wagon Wheel | Old Crow Medicine Show
- Wayfaring Stranger | Traditional
- White Freightliner | Townes Van Zant
- Wild Bill Jones | Traditional
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken | The Carter Family
- Will You Be Lonesome Too? | Flatt and Scruggs
- Your Love is Like a Flower | Flatt and Scruggs
Booked Events
: The Bash Verified Bookings
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Plan, book, celebrate—with confidence
Find Bluegrass Bands in Birmingham, AL to bring your event to life.
Trusted Vendors
With verified reviews and thousands of ratings, it's easy to book the perfect Bluegrass Bands for all types of events in Birmingham, AL—no matter how big or small.
Money-Back Promise
You'll never lose a deposit or balance payment made through The Bash with our 100% money-back guarantee. Online payments are secure through Stripe.
Top-Rated Service
Our US based team of Account Specialists are here to help every step of the way. Since 1997, we've connected planners with vendors for over half a million events.