Wild Bill Jones - Old Sledge

Old Sledge old time string band at The Front Hall Friday night April 8, 2011. Old Sledge is a group of young musicians from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Blowing the dust off old tunes and songs from the golden era of early country, hillbilly and blues music, Old Sledge represents the best and brightest of the new generation of traditional musicians from the south. Far from being re-enactors of old time music they bring creative arrangements and dynamic performances while still holding true to the mountain aesthetic in which they are rooted. The band has a powerful combination of excellent singing and instrumentals. Their repertoire spans the gamut of old time country and blues music, moving from virtuosic fiddle tunes to Appalachian murder ballads to greasy blues. The band is quickly gaining notoriety, not only as a great performance ensemble, but also as a torchbearer of traditional music. Members of the band have sought out and mentored with the old masters of traditional music, soaking up not only the tunes but also the authentic style and spirit of old time music. Collectively, the band has won numerous awards for their music including the West Virginia Fiddle and Banjo championships, as well as 1st place at The Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop, WV). Members have performed in such prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, The Barbican, Carnegie Hall, and starred in the BBC television production "Folk America". Old Sledge performs in a variety of settings including festivals, concerts and dances. They also lead workshops in traditional Appalachian singing and playing and have been faculty at the Augusta Heritage Center, Pinewoods Dance Camp, Allegheny Echoes, Cowan Creek and Champlain Valley Folk Festival. Chance McCoy - fiddle, banjo, guitar vocals As a native of West Virginia, Chance has steeped himself in the songs and tunes of the mountains he grew up in, emerging from the youngest generation of old time players as a masterful steward of the tradition. His fiddling and banjo playing has won him blue ribbons at contests throughout the southern mountains, including the West Virginia State Fiddle and Banjo contest, and the Appalachian Stringband Music Festival (Clifftop). Sabra Guzmán - guitar, banjo ukulele, upright bass, vocals Being defined as "the Gypsy", Sabra has traveled far and wide, coast to coast, continent to continent, soaking up people, their stories, and experiences that she's felt a close connection to. Over the past few years, she's found herself settling into the mountains of southwest Virginia, honing her skills on guitar and upright bass. Falling in love with the Carter Family, old field-recordings from the South, and early country music singers, she's become inspired to travel and play this music full-time. For more information visit their website here: http://www.oldsledgemusic.com/ Support these artists and buy their music online here: http://oldsledgemusicstore.com/ Recorded on April 8, 2011 using a Flip Video camera.