The fiddle, which often serves as lead in Appalachian music, follows the banjo. The spare but often propulsive sound is embellished by a variety of percussive instrumentation – “the insanity factor,” as singer and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons calls it – the jugs and bones and even the human beat-boxing of vocalist-fiddle player Justin Robinson.
Their repertoire is centered around the traditional music of the early twentieth century but also includes more contemporary interpretations and original material. As Robinson says, “Tradition is a guide, not a jailer. We play in an older tradition but we are modern musicians.”
Their album, Genuine Negro Jig, was recently nominated for a 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.
American Songbook will be presented in the spectacular Allen Room of Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Allen Room possesses one of New York’s greatest settings – a stunning vista of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline that provides an evocative backdrop for the performers.
Recordings available:
- In North America: Genuine Negro Jig, Dona Got a Ramblin Mind, Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii, Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson, heritage, Presents Colored Aristocracy: Sankofa Strings
- In Europe: Genuine Negro Jig, Dona Got a Ramblin Mind, Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii, Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson, heritage
Tickets can be purchased online at Lincoln Center’s website www.AmericanSongbook.org, via CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, at the Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, or at the Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office.
February 2, 2011
8:30 pm
Lincoln Center
The Allen Room
Frederick P. Rose Hall
Broadway at 60th Street
More at www.LincolnCenter.org
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
