Afternoon show put on by CT Folk at the usually sketchy, but pleasant on this day, Edgewood Park. Jake Blount is a young string band aficionado who I seem to recall being a student or protege of The Carolina Chocolate Drops. I came early to hear Blount give a talk on the history of African American string band music. Blount, from Virginia, spoke on the smash of cultures as Africans were put on slave ships traveling with Europeans across the Atlantic. This melting pot set the stage for some of the string band and Appalachian music that makes the foundation for blues, rock, and rhythm and blues. Blount, who plays fiddle, banjo, and guitar, spoke about the banjo reaching a wide audience because they could be purchased from the Sears catalog. Blount took a break after his talk then returned for a nice set of tunes, originals and traditionals. I think I heard Elizabeth Cotten’s Bollweavil Blues. Blount told a story of being asked to share the stage withTaj Mahal at the recent Newport Folk in a tribute to Pete Seeger. Nice concert, in the shade, on this 90 degree day.
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