Bela fleck is a fifteentime grammy award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and abigail washburn a singersongwriter and clawhammer banjo player who reradicalized it by combining it with far east culture and sounds. These musicians are extremely talented, in several genres of music, and the rapport between them is palpable. If american oldtime music is about taking earlier, simpler ways of life and musicmaking as ones model, abigail washburn has proven herself to be a bracing revelation to that tradition. It is the first grammy win for washburn, who graduated as colorado college s first east asian studies major and was the 2012 commencement speaker. Elvis costello, dierks bentley, ingrid andress lead friday. Watch the husbandandwife banjo duo perform the chilling murder ballad shotgun blues, a vengeful guilt trip of a tune, live from a new york. Dont miss the chance to see two of the worlds most highly regarded banjo players and fearless musical explorersbela fleck and abigail washburnin this celebrity series of boston concert. His albums include flight of the cosmic hippo, ufo tofu, and rocket science. Bela fleck, wife to donate to eau claires confluence project. But its their expressive range in washburns nostalgia. Smith teamaker banjo mingle banjo love store on tour contact. Bela fleck and abigail washburn, banjo superstars and a couple of 10 years, speak with nprs arun rath about why they waited so long to.
Posts tagged npr music bela and abigail washburn s tiny desk concert. Bela fleck and abigail washburn at troy savings bank music. Bela fleck and abigail washburn on teaming up, finally npr. Youd find little debate about calling bela fleck and abigail washburn the king and queen of the banjofleck, a master who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and washburn as. Banjo fandom won a dream team pairing when virtuoso banjo players bela fleck and abigail washburn wed in 2009. This husbandandwife banjo duo write original tunes steeped in the.
As a longtime fan of bela fleck, i listened to this album on npr as soon as i. Bela fleck and abigail washburn to host the 2017 ibma awards. When she was offered a recording contract at a bluegrass convention, she decided to become a traveling folk musician instead of the lawyer she had planned to be. Abigail and i are thankful for you all, and wishing you a warm holiday season. Monsters of banjo bela fleck and abigail washburn, banjo superstars and a couple of 10 years, speak with npr s arun rath about why they waited so long to make their first album together. Bela fleck and abigail washburn are two american musical treasures. Washburn through her innovative collaborations with chinese musicians, and fleck through a. I wont spoil the video by telling you his response. Bela anton leos fleck born july 10, 1958 is an american banjo player. Abigail washburn is a singing, songwriting illinoisbred, nashvillebased claw hammer banjo player. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. A fifteentime grammy winner, fleck has the distinction of being nominated in more categories than any other instrumentalist in grammy history, and has brought his banjo through scorching hot newgrass, traditional bluegrass, otherworldly funk, modern jazz. Exploring the differences between clawhammer and reverb news. Quick center for the arts fairfield university, connecticut.
Aug 23, 2017 banjoists bela fleck and abigail washburn are set to the host the international bluegrass music association awards in september. But after performing together as a favor to a relative, the. Echo in the valley bela fleck, abigail washburn songs. My fellow americans, you just might have missed it. The banjo duo bela fleck and abigail washburn plan to donate merchandise profits from a feb. Stream adfree or purchase cds and mp3s now on amazon. Latinautor, latinautor peermusic, abramus digital, cmrra, ascap, bmg rights management, and 3 music rights societies. Brian blausermountain stagewest virginia public broadcasting. If american oldtime music is about taking earlier, simpler ways of life and musicmaking as ones model, abigail washburn has proven. Their presence on stage signals the genres expansive growth in recent years, reaching toward the edges in order to better understand the center. Bela fleck and abigail washburn appear here on mountain stage, recorded live on the campus of west virginia wesleyan college.
Despite playing a common instrument, celebrated banjo players abigail washburn and bela fleck have kept their musical careers separate. It was produced by bela fleck and composed and arranged by the foursome. The first family of the banjo performs bluegrass and mandarin folk music live in charleston, w. Oct 17, 2019 banjo fandom won a dream team pairing when virtuoso banjo players bela fleck and abigail washburn wed in 2009. Oct 23, 2014 bela fleck is surely the finest banjo player on the planet, a virtuoso who can switch from bluegrass to classical, jazz and african styles, while his wife, abigail washburn, is also an impressive. Abigail washburn is a singing, songwriting, illinoisborn, nashvillebased clawhammer banjo playeris every bit as interested in the present and the future a. His first full album collaboration with abigail washburn, bela fleck and abigail.
Hear a performance from the banjoplaying husband and wife, whove finally made an album together. Abigail washburn 99, bela fleck win grammy award colorado. Where to stream live concerts during coronavirus were updating a list of live musical performances from around the world, categorized by date and genre. Bela fleck and abigail washburn will host, perform. Following the husbandwife duos grammy awardwinning, selftitled first album, fleck and washburn address political and family events in their second record, echo in the valley, which was released in october.
I have listened to bela fleck, with various other musicians and ensembles, for quite a few years, and this album is more frosting on the cake. Bela fleck and abigail washburn truth, beauty, banjo the. Sierra hull has been recognized from age 11 as a virtuoso mandolin player, astonishing audiences and fellow musicians alike. In addition to housing ten resident organizations and presenting more than 200 performances, art exhibitions, and educational and community events each year, overture offers a variety of venues for performances, corporate meetings, conventions, trade shows, weddings. Fridays music livestreams include elvis costello, dierks bentley, ingrid andress, tinashe, peter bjorn and john and barenaked ladies. Husbandandwife banjoists bela fleck and abigail washburn. Thank you, bela fleck and abigail washburn, for the wonderful music. Well, thats not entirely accurateboth fleck and washburn have performed on the. Press feature katherine forbes october 28, 2019 npr, edmar castaneda, big ears festival. However, you can still listen with the spotify or apple music playlist at the bottom of the page. Npr all things considered on joey alexanders transformation more news. Bela fleck and abigail washburn meld marriage with musical. May 11, 2018 bob boilen a very pregnant abigail washburn points to bela fleck at the tiny desk and says and just so you know, this is his.
Bela fleck and abigail washburn truth, beauty, banjo the on. Jazz night in america is airing my show with edmar castaneda from big ears 2019. An innovative and technically proficient banjo player, he is best known for his work with the bands new grass revival and bela fleck and the flecktones. Abigail washburn planned to study law at beijing university, but her love of bluegrass landed her a record deal instead. What can i say about my wife abby, except that the first time i listened to a cd of her music, i started driving so fast that i got pulled over for speeding and was made to walk the line by the men in blue.
It was inevitable and eagerly anticipated by fans of traditiontweaking acoustic fare that these partners in music and life who married in 2009 would eventually do a fullfledged project together. Fleck is a 15time grammy award winner and arguably the worlds greatest scruggs. Bela fleck and abigail washburn is a front porch banjo and vocal album of new. Bela fleck and abigail washburn are considered the king and queen of the banjo. Tiny desk concert bela fleck and abigail washburn are two american musical treasures. Why bela fleck and abigail washburn dont like the phrase. Overture center for the arts is a stunning architectural landmark in the heart of madisons thriving cultural arts district. Bela fleck is a sixteentime grammy award winner who has. If theres such a thing as banjo royalty, it comes in the form of the king and queen of banjo bela fleck and abigail washburn. This husbandandwife banjo duo write original tunes steeped in the roots of folk music. Catching up with bela fleck and abigail washburn paste.
Audio for first listens is no longer available after the album is released. A very pregnant abigail washburn points to bela fleck at the tiny desk and says and just so you know, this is his fault. Sep 27, 2017 bela fleck and abigail washburn, considered the first couple of bluegrass banjo, take a political track on their new album echo in the valley which theyll show off at both wide open. The radio episode will include one bonus song from the concert the message as well as music from my new album the ripple effect with toumani diabate the episode airs locally on wbgo, 88. It won the 2016 grammy for best folk album track listing. Abigail washburn born november 10, 1977 is an american clawhammer banjo player and. The husband and wife team of bela fleck and abigail washburn is an excellent combination. Washburn is a clawhammer style banjoist and oneofakind singer with an ethereal voice, as well as a cultural bridge builder who speaks mandarin and has performed multiple tours around. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the oldtime bands uncle earl and sparrow quartet, experimental group the wu force, and as a duo with her husband bela fleck. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. With added persuasion from her outstanding touring band, her latest album, city of refuge, released in january of 2011, was a topten critics pick of the year in froots and songlines, britains leading rootsworld music magazines. When we recently had the chance to catch up with mr.
Although washburn and fleck have been on the show several times with. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. Fleck and abigail washburn, his musical partner and wife, the banjo team took us on a tour of both stylesshowcasing abigails clawhammer background and belas threefinger heroics. I spoke with them in 2015, when nashville public radio brought us together at. This husbandandwife banjo duo write original tunes. Home about tour collabs news music media timeline contact projects blue ridge banjo camp 3finger black.