Princeton|Local Event
The Ebony Hillbillies - the last African-American String Band in America
Princeton Folk Music Society presents the Ebony Hillbillies - sometimes called “the last African-American String Band in America.” They are known for a mix of pop, country, bluegrass, folk and jazz. Henrique Prince, vocalist and classically trained violinist and Norris Washington Bennett, ace banjo, mountain dulcimer, guitar player and vocalist were influenced by recordings of The Mississippi Sheiks, and the Altamont: Recordings of Black Stringband Music. Enlisting other musicians on vocals, bass and percussion they formed a dance band that has “magically put together music that covers centuries, that’s modern and ancient at the same time.” The string band was an essential part of daily life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its practitioners played for pleasure, for church, to relieve the enormous stresses of life on the plantation. and to dance.
8:00 pm. Friday, September 19th, Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ. Tickets online or at the door (if not sold-out): $40 ($35 members, $10 students). Tickets and Livestream access: www.princetonfolk.org. For more information info@princetonfolk.org. Doors open at 7:30PM. Ample free parking.