Rachel’s

Rachel's were an American chamber music group that formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1991. Former Rodan guitarist Jason Noble played music individually and referred to himself as Rachel's but then began collaborating with core members violist Christian Frederickson and pianist Rachel Grimes. The group's work was strongly influenced by classical music, particularly inspired by the minimalist music of the late 20th century, and its compositions reflect this. While the trio formed the core part of the band, the group's recordings and performances featured a varying ensemble of musicians, who played a range of string instruments (including viola and cello) in combination with piano, guitars, electric bass guitar, and a drum set that included a large orchestral bass drum. A key influence on the music of Rachel's was the music of the English composer Michael Nyman, whose music the group's work resembles in both instrumentation and compositional style. A profile of the band is included in the book Second-Hand Stories: 15 Portraits of Louisville by Michael L. Jones. Noble died of cancer on August 4, 2012, and Edward Grimes died on March 25, 2017.