The Ebony Hillbillies
American string band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ebony Hillbillies is an American old-time string band based in New York City.[2]
The Ebony Hillbillies | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Old-time, Americana, blues, folk, country, jazz |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Label | EH MUSIC |
| Members | Henrique Prince William Salter Gloria Thomas Gassaway Reggie “A.R.” Ferguson Newman Taylor Baker Allanah Salter Iris Thomas Olden Dave Colding Ricky “Dirty Red” Gordon |
| Past members | Norris Washington Bennett |
| Website | http://www.theEbonyHillbillies.com [1] |
A recording of their music is held in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.[3]
History
During the 1980s, Henrique Prince began putting together a band due to "an idea of specializing in dance music, because I really liked the idea of the violin as a dance instrument."[4] He also wanted to make "music African Americans used to perform and dance to before they found the blues and jazz and the other stuff became associated with grizzled mountain white guys".[5] Based in New York City,[6] The Ebony Hillbillies began performing on New York subway platforms.[7][8] As the band continued to perform they were invited to perform in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center,[9] Washington state's Wintergrass Festival,[10] and the Kennedy Center.[11]
Members
- Henrique Prince: violin, vocals[12]
- Gloria Thomas Gassaway: bones, lead vocals
- Reggie “A.R.” Ferguson: washboard, “cowboy" percussion kit (consisting of organic wood and metal materials)
- William “Salty Bill” Salter: acoustic bass, voice
- Newman Taylor Baker: washboard
- Allanah Salter: vocals
Additional members
- Ricky “Dirty Red” Gordon: washboard, percussion
- Dave Colding: acoustic bass, vocals
- Iris Thomas: vocals
- AW: banjo, bass
Deceased
- Norris Washington Bennett: Five-string banjo, mountain dulcimer, lead vocals
Discography
Further reading
- Fischlin, Daniel (2013). The fierce urgency of now : improvisation, rights, and the ethics of cocreation. Ajay Heble, George Lipsitz. Durham: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-5464-2. OCLC 817799607.
- Hubbs, Nadine (March 18, 2014). Rednecks, Queers, and Country Music. Univ of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-95834-0.
- Pecknold, Diane (July 10, 2013). Hidden in the Mix: The African American Presence in Country Music. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-5149-8.
- Ritchie, Fiona; Orr, Doug (September 29, 2014). Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-1-4696-1823-4.