Thanks to a horrible skiing accident, roots-rock upstarts Agents of Good Roots have become one of the hottest jam bands of the '90s.

Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Winn "used to sound like a choirboy" before smashing into a ski lift stanchion at age 14. "It busted up my larynx. They flew me out in a helicopter, I had a tracheotomy -- the whole deal," Winn says.

The accident permanently damaged Winn's vocal cords, creating the trademark raspy voice heard on such Agents hits as "Smiling Up The Frown" and "Come On."

Also out of the carnage came Winn's love for guitar. Rendered speechless for three months while his larynx healed, the Roanoke, Va. native picked up the instrument for the first time, later going on to earn a master's degree in music with an emphasis on classical guitar.

One By One, the band's major label debut, is a musical melange of folk, jazz and blues, with J.C. Kuhl's saxophone and Winn's occasional keyboards (on which he's also formally trained) adding a warm wash over each track. Although the album is split evenly between driving rock numbers like "Come On" and folksy ballads like "Smiling Up the Frown," Winn feels more comfortable with the brisk pace. "'Smiling' is a great song, but we're more upbeat than that. 'Come On' is definitely more us.'" As a whole, One By One is very jam-oriented, and just a sampling of the band's expansive repertoire, says Winn. "We play a two-hour set, and we've got tons of songs."

Like most artists that fall under the "jam band" umbrella, Agents of Good Roots have a penchant for touring. Winn & Co. play more than 200 shows per year, and up to this point mostly gig in smaller venues.

Isaac Josephson