What: Musical Concert Series
Where: Ebbs Chapel Auditorium, 271 Laurel Valley Road, Mars Hill
When: Sundays, June 28, July 26, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.
Who: June: Clay Lunsford & Wayne Henderson ($15)
July: Sheila Kay Adams ($15)
August: The Kruger Brothers ($35/$30 advance)
For More information: (828) 649-1301
Or www.madisoncountyarts.com
From Madison County Arts Council:
The Madison County Arts Council is delighted to announce its new summer series at the Ebbs Chapel Performing Arts Center. “This is a lovely restored auditorium in the Upper Laurel Community of Madison County,” remarked Laura Boosinger, Executive Director of the Madison County Arts Council. “Many people from across the community combined their talents and resources to bring this facility back to life. We are happy to be working with folks at Ebbs Chapel to expand our concert productions to another area of the county. The facility is a gem and we look forward to sharing it with our audience.”
This inaugural summer series features top notch talent from across the region. Clay Lunsford and Wayne Henderson present a varied program of thumb and fingerstyle guitar playing. Clay plays in the style of Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. His tunes range from smooth classics such as “Bye Bye Blues” to swing numbers like “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Wayne Henderson is known as a master of the six string guitar and was featured with the likes of Albert Lee and Jerry Douglas on a tour produced by the National Council of Traditional Arts. Some might be more familiar with his work as a luthier and the maker of Henderson Guitars. You will find Wayne’s guitars in the hands of David Holt and Uwe Kruger. Eric Clapton happened upon a Henderson in a New York recording studio. It wasn’t long until he was playing one of his own. The story was chronicled in the book “Clapton’s Guitar.” Expect an enjoyable afternoon of humor and music when these two get together.
In 2013 Sheila Kay Adams was awarded the National Folk Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. She grew up in Sodom learning the “love songs” at the knees of her Great Aunt Dellie Norton. Many know Sheila Kay from her award winning civil war novel, “My Old True Love.” Set in Madison County, “My Old True Love” gives a local perspective to what the war brought to Madison County. The book is laced with the old songs, broad brushed images of our local mountains and the strong ties required of families in war torn times. Sheila Kay never fails to delight with her singing, storytelling and banjo playing. Sheila Kay Adams is a cultural treasure to all, but a neighbor to those who live here.
Rounding out the series will be The Kruger Brothers. Born and raised in Switzerland, The Kruger Brothers moved to Wilkesboro, NC at the foot of the brushy mountains in 2002. In Wilkes County they found a community of music lovers and they found home. Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, The Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music. The honesty of their writing has since become a hallmark of the trio’s work. In their ever-expanding body of work – Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) – The Kruger Brothers 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. “The Kruger Brothers are always a delight and the never fail to inspire!” remarked Boosinger. “We know this concert will sell-out.”
Tickets for the series can be purchased from the Madison County Arts Council by calling (828)649-1301 or by visiting www.MadisonCountyArts.com. Individual show tickets may be purchased as well as a season pass for all three concerts at the discounted price of $50 until June 15.
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