Press release from the Madison County Arts Council:
The Madison County Arts Council is pleased to host the Kruger Brothers once again on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m. in the Broyhill Chapel on the campus of Mars Hill University. Tickets are $30. For more information, contact www.madisoncountyarts.com or call (828) 649-1301.
According to the New York Times, as a child growing up in Switzerland, Jens Kruger was so fascinated by a broken tenor banjo owned by his father — actually, just the neck of it — that he nailed strings to it and silently taught himself the fingering for several chords. When his mother bought him a proper banjo at about the age of 10, Mr. Kruger said, “I could finally hear how all these chords sounded.” Jens and his brother, Uwe, took their banjo and guitar on the road at an early age. They played country, rock, and pop standards, as well bluegrass, in venues ranging from clubs to cruise liners. The Kruger Brothers, including bassist Joel Landsberg, performed at Merlefest for the first time in 1997. The band found a welcoming community in Wilkesboro and eventually left Switzerland to make North Carolina their home.
In their ever-expanding body of work, The Kruger Brothers – Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) – personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition. Their original music is crafted around their discerning taste, and the result is unpretentious, cultivated, and delightfully fresh.
In addition to their regular concert schedule, The Kruger Brothers regularly perform classical pieces penned by Jens Kruger with select symphony orchestras and string quartets throughout the country. Their latest work for chamber orchestra, The Roan Mountain Suite, was inspired by the raw beauty and history surrounding Roan Mountain.
“The Kruger Brothers love to begin their new year in Madison County. We are lucky to have them and know that our audience always looks forward to hearing excerpts from new work, folk classics and their take on bluegrass music,” said Laura Boosinger, Executive Director of The Madison County Arts Council. “This year we are hosting the concert at Broyhill Chapel on the campus of Mars Hill University. The audience can look forward to an intimate, up close and personal performance. Get your tickets now — this one is always a sell-out.”
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