Krista Arledge

Krista grew up in a musical family in Akron, Ohio. She sang in a variety of ensembles throughout her childhood and high school years including a madrigal group, a Doo-wop group and a show choir. She was also involved in local plays and musicals. Pursuing those interests, Krista attended Indiana University where she got a degree in Vocal Music and Theatre. At IU, Krista studied classical and jazz voice. She also formed a band with some fellow music students called Guest House. After five years, three albums and a few tours, the band went separate ways. Krista moved to Bozeman, Montana and began teaching at a Montessori school. In 2009, Krista joined The String Jumpers as the vocalist. She is now also performing with the tribute band Pinky and the Floyd.

Craig Hall

Montanan Craig Hall is a jazz guitarist and acoustic bassist who has carved out an existence as the definitive sideman of the upper mountain states. He has played in recent years in over 30 states and on four continents with a diverse array of groups, from The Montana Mandolin Society to Eden Atwood groups, the Jeni Fleming Trio and others. Closer to home he gigs with Michael Myers, Bob Britten, John Alexander, Kristin Korb, The String Jumpers, festival headliners, good singers, bad singers, in between sax players…. hardware store owners … hoodlums …and teaches a few private students. With Ann Tappan he co-leads the group Springhill, with whom he has toured in Eastern Europe three times, playing progressive modern jazz drawing on rock and folk influences. Recently he has played with Azar Lawrence, Benito Gonzalez, Bob Dorough, Grace Kelly and many others. He has appeared on over 50 CD’s. Currently, when not side manning, he is angling toward recording self-lead jazz projects. Turn-ons include the third mode of the Melodic Minor scale, thin, quiet ethereal distant atonal volume swells and watching young music students become inspired by new musical insights.

James Schlender

James is the youngest member of the band at 16, and is a junior at Bozeman High School. James started playing the fiddle when he was 9 years old, and by the time he was 13, he had won 2 National Fiddle Championships. Since that time he has won many regional and state fiddle contests and has placed in the top 10 for the last 3 years in the prestigious Grandmasters Fiddle Contest held in Nashville, Tennessee. James enjoys playing classical music in 2 orchestras and ensembles, playing worship music at his church, and loves to jam till the wee hours of the morning any time he can. His love of playing swing and jazz music was rewarded last year by winning a scholarship from the community-based, nonprofit support group, Jazz Montana.

Adam Greenberg

Adam is a professional drummer, percussionist, and instructor living in the Bozeman area. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Adam studied at the Cleveland Music School Settlement as well as attending summer programs at Interlochen Center for the Arts and Berklee College of Music. Adam then studied drums/percussion at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati under the instruction of John Von Olen. Since moving to Bozeman in 2002, Adam has had the privilege to collaborate with Jeni Fleming, Six Strings Down, The String Jumpers, The Montana Mandolin Society, The Craig Hall Trio, the Glen Johnson Big Band, Andrew Gromiller and the Organically Grown, and various other rock and jazz bands, as well as his own experimental project, the A.G.B.

Ian Fleming

Ian is one of our lead guitarists, resides in Bozeman, Montana and is a full time student at Montana State University. At age 16, he appeared on the Acoustic Disc produced album, "Tone Poets" with artists such as Chris Thile and Martin Taylor. He is the former guitar player for Pupville and has performed with such artists as the David Grisman Quintet, and Special Consensus. Besides playing regularly with The String Jumpers, he is also part of the local band, Thermalgrass.

Doug Schlender

Doug is our rhythm guitarist/ sound man/ manager/ and father of James. He learned the luthier trade making Mossman guitars in Winfield, Kansas in the 1970's. While there, he learned to play the guitar and mandolin from bluegrass musicians who worked there. In the 1980's he went to work for Flatiron Mandolin, and later on Gibson Mandolin and Guitar. Although working in all aspects of the construction business through the years , providing for his growing family of 7 sons, he is enjoying the ongoing outcome of the band that he and James started, The String Jumpers.