6/26/2024
Debut of The Story of the United States in Song Multimedia Show
I’m excited to announce the debut of the Rambling String Band’s brand-new multimedia show. With vocals, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass fiddle, and a wealth of historic American songs, Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band tell the story of the United States. This 90-minute multimedia show includes music and images from Colonial America, the Revolution, Westward Expansion, the Abolitionist Movement, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Women’s Rights Movement, the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and more.
The first performance is at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 4 at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Florida. It’s open to the public, but you must purchase tickets at Eventbrite in advance. More information is on the Facebook Event page.
New Recordings in the Works
Karen Feldner and I have a repertoire of traditional folk and old country songs from our performances in recent years, and we decided to record them. We’re not sure whether these will take the form of an album or a few EPs, but we plan to release them as soon as we sort things out. Here’s an old country song we recorded a few years ago that might be a part of the release(s).
Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week at Mars Hill
I had a fantastic time as a staff musician at Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week. I assisted the great Judy Hyman and Jeff Claus in their Rhythm & Repertoire class, working with the banjo players.
Performance for Americana Community Music Association
I posted photos from a recent solo performance for the Americana Community Music Association in Fort Myers, Florida. View the photos on Facebook or Instagram, even if you don’t have an account.
Summer Festivals and Camps
Looking forward to Old-Time Week at the Swannanoa Gathering and the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in July and August!
Then
5/29/2024
New Rambling String Band Video
We recently posted a brief video montage from our performance at the Seminole Theatre in Homestead, Florida, on September 24, 2021.
Summer Festivals and Camps
I will be a staff musician at Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week on the campus of Mars Hill University in North Carolina. This was one of the first camps I attended when I started playing old-time music, and I’m excited to return as a staff member.
The weekend before, I’ll be attending the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention for the first time.
In July, it’s Old-Time Week at the Swannanoa Gathering, then the Appalachian String Band Music Festival!
Florida Folk Festival
What a thrill it was to perform in the amphitheater on Friday night at the Florida Folk Festival. I’ve been performing at this festival for many years in different configurations (solo, Rambling String Band, Joe Bone, Karen Feldner). It was a dream come true to finally perform on the mainstage at night.
Southeast Regional Folk Alliance
As vice president of Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA), I helped put together another fantastic conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. I was honored to present Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc. (JAM) with our 2024 SERFA Award for extraordinary contributions to the folk music community in the Southeast. JAM is the non-profit parent organization for 50+ after-school programs for children in grades 4 – 8. They provide communities with the tools and support needed to teach children to play and dance to traditional old-time and bluegrass music. JAM introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as fiddle, banjo and guitar. We also roped Brett Morris, Executive Director and President of JAM, into leading a flatfooting workshop at our conference.
This is me accompanying my friend Ash Devine on the Carter Family’s “The Birds Were Singing of You” in a SERFA showcase.
Twenty minutes until the dinner bell rings at SERFA? Time enough for a few tunes in the lobby! There are always wonderful impromptu jams and song circles of all types, but in my years participating in SERFA conferences, I don’t recall anyone instigating more old-time fiddle tunes than Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr did this year.
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.
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.