Yonder Mountain String Band - Elevation

Elevation was released in 1999 as Yonder Mountain String Band's debut album on Frog Pad Records, the band's own independent label. The Colorado-based band self-released the record before achieving wider prominence on the jam band festival circuit.

Elevation features original tracks that became staples of the band's live sets, including songs like "Two Hits and the Joint Turned Brown" and "Nothin' to Hide." The album established the band's signature jamgrass sound, blending bluegrass instrumentation with extended improvisation.

The founding lineup featured on Elevation included Jeff Austin on mandolin, Dave Johnston on banjo, Adam Aijala on guitar, and Ben Kaufmann on bass. This four-piece configuration remained the band's core until Jeff Austin's departure in 2014.

Elevation captures the raw, early sound of the band at the turn of the millennium, before the more polished production of later releases like 2003's Elevation-era follow-ups on major-adjacent labels. Fans often regard it as a defining document of the late-1990s Colorado jamgrass scene alongside contemporaries like Leftover Salmon and String Cheese Incident.