Award-Winning Folk Musician Jake Blount to Perform at St. Stephen's

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church presents acclaimed folk musician, scholar, and activist Jake Blount in concert on Sunday, February 23, at 5 p.m. The concert is a rare opportunity for the Ridgefield community to experience one of contemporary folk music’s most innovative and thoughtful performers in the intimate setting of St. Stephen’s historic sanctuary, located at 353 Main Street.

A recipient of the 2020 Steve Martin Banjo Prize, his first solo album, “Spider Tales”, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart, was nominated Album of the Year at the 2021 International Music Awards and named Best in the Americas in the Songline Music Awards. Blount has earned recognition for his groundbreaking work in reclaiming and recentering often-overlooked voices in American folk traditions. His music spans traditional spirituals, blues, and Appalachian folk songs, interpreted through his contemporary lens and informed by his intensive research into historical African American musical traditions.

Blount’s most recent album, "The New Faith," released on Smithsonian Folkways, reimagines traditional Black spirituals in a haunting Afrofuturist context, earning widespread critical acclaim. As a skilled multi-instrumentalist proficient on banjo and fiddle, his performances showcase not only his musical excellence but also his deep knowledge of American folk music history. His work has been featured by prestigious organizations including NPR, Rolling Stone, and Billboard, and he has performed at renowned venues and festivals across the country. The suggested donation for this event is $20.