The Crooked Road will present a slate of heritage music at the Cumberland Square Park gazebo space during Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion on September 10 – 12 in Bristol VA/TN.
The gazebo stage will be filled with sounds of old-time, bluegrass and guitar throughout the weekend with the following performers:
Tyler Hughes has been involved in heritage music making since a youth. Located in Big Stone Gap, Hughes took classes in Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music at East Tennessee State University and is a songwriter in addition to being a musician.
Five Mile Mountain Road is a Franklin County, VA-based old time, bluegrass, and classic country band with an emphasis on music for dancing. Members include Billy Hurt, fiddle; Seth Boyd, banjo/guitar; Brennen Ernst, guitar/banjo; and Steven Dowdy, upright bass. Known for their show-stealing performances, their music emanates dynamic energy and extensive variety.
Andrew Small is the current Crooked Road Artist-in-Residence and is a resident of Floyd County. Small is a versatile musician with an impressive background, he is accomplished as a singer and performer on a variety of instruments including fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, and double bass. He has performed at major venues and festivals on four continents and has toured with artists including Sierra Hull, Mandolin Orange and the North Carolina Symphony. He will be joined by wife Ashlee Watkins.
Claiborne Woodall performs bluegrass and Americana material with equal facility as well as being an excellent singer. He brings a knack for nice arrangements and tasteful solos that comes as much from knowing what notes to leave out as what notes to put in. He has performed at The Smithsonian Institution, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, The Down Home, and acoustic venues throughout the East.
The Fiddle Scene is a seven member all-female bluegrass band from across the Tri-Cities region, formed through the filming of the documentary Born in Bristol. The band brings heritage music to the forefront with fiddle tunes and skilled musicianship.
Hollow Ground, led by Millard Edwards, is a bluegrass and gospel group located in Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia that performs throughout the region at various festivals and events.
Duty Free is a bluegrass band based in Bristol, Tennessee. Members of the band are Bobby Love, Charlie Powers, Rick Powers, Hal Boyd, and Tim Laughlin. Composed of master musicians and songwriters, the band features the best of bluegrass music and vocals.
The performance schedule is:
Friday, September 10
Tyler Hughes — 7:30 pm
Saturday, September 11
Five Mile Mountain Road — 12:30 pm
Hollow Ground — 2:30 pm
Claiborne Woodall — 4:30 pm
The Fiddle Scene — 6:30 pm
Sunday, September 12
Duty Free — 1:00 pm
The Crooked Road’s Artist-In-Residence Andrew Small — 3:00 pm
This performance is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
# # #
About Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road (TCR)
The Crooked Road is a 330 mile driving trail through the mountains of Southwest Virginia that connects nine Major Venues and over 60 Affiliated Venues and Festivals that visitors can enjoy every day of the year. Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail: The Crooked Road is also a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 2004 whose mission is to support economic development in Southwest Virginia by promoting this region’s rich heritage of traditional music.
The Crooked Road office is located at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center and Marketplace in Abingdon, VA. General information can be found at The Crooked Road website, www.thecrookedroadva.com, by email at info@thecrookedroad.org or by calling (276) 492-2400, ext. 2409. Southwest Virginia visitation information can be found at www.myswva.org.
