8/19/2023
New Photos
My friend, the amazing photographer Leanne Echeverri, captured photos of me during a recent visit to Asheville. View the entire collection.
Bascom Lamar Lunsford House
While in Western North Carolina, I visited with the new owner of the home of musician/folklorist Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Whitney Ponder is working to open the Pondering Bascom Performing Arts and Education Center on the property. The organization is dedicated to promoting traditional Appalachian music, dance, arts, and culture. Check out the website and get in touch with Whitney if you are interested in getting involved.
I’ll post more information about my visit and a few videos later.
Clifftop 2023
I had another wonderful time at the annual Appalachian String Band Music Festival, better known as Clifftop. I spent 12 days camping in the mountains of West Virginia with some 4,000 other folks playing fiddle tunes. Nothing better.
Then
6/30/2023
Citation from National Federation of Music Clubs
I am deeply grateful to the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) for awarding me and the nonprofit Ballad of America, Inc. a citation at their annual conference in Norfolk, Virginia. NFMC is the largest nonprofit organization in America promoting and supporting American music, performers, and education. They invited me to speak at their conference and perform “A Celebration of America’s Music: From Plymouth Rock to Rock & Roll.”
I am deeply grateful to the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) for awarding me and the nonprofit Ballad of America, Inc. a citation at their annual conference in Norfolk, Virginia. NFMC is the largest nonprofit organization in America promoting and supporting American music, performers, and education. They invited me to speak at their conference and perform “A Celebration of America’s Music: From Plymouth Rock to Rock & Roll.”
Barn’s Burnt Down
I’m very proud of my contributions to the new album by Karen Feldner, Barn’s Burnt Down. I played banjo, guitar, and/or bass on all of the tracks and did some backing vocals. Karen wrote the songs, some based on the melodies of old-time fiddle tunes. You can hear it on most of the major digital music sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Following the eight tracks of the album, there are the “Song Stories” in which Karen narrates the origins of each song. I highly recommend checking it out.
Southeast Regional Folk Alliance
I was recently re-elected Vice President of the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) board. We had an excellent annual conference in May, at which I performed a showcase and hosted the Roots & Sources showcases, featuring performers of traditional folk songs. The highlight for me was interviewing Jeff Place, a producer and writer for the 1997 reissue of The Anthology of American Folk Music from Smithsonian Folkways. I hope to post video of this session later.
Rambling String Band
Check our Upcoming Events page on Facebook for live performance dates.