Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. — RUTLAND — Banjo virtuosos and husband-and-wife musical adventurers with divergent areas of specialty, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn will take to the Paramount Theatre stage on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. – only three weeks after the release of their much awaited and critically acclaimed self-titled debut album.
Banjoists Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn have mastered the intricate art of the duet. Their performances embrace a diversity almost unthinkable, coming from just two banjos and one voice. Washburn’s beguiling composing, playing and singing blend with Fleck’s riveting and virtuosic musicianship to create music both unique yet familiar in texture.
Fleck, a 15-time Grammy winner, has collaborated with Chick Corea, Oumou Sangare, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Dave Mathews, Earl Scruggs, and the entire Cleveland Orchestra for his banjo concert, “The Impostor.”
Washburn’s banjo has taken her far beyond the usual old-timey comfort zone, musically and geographically. An alumnus of Uncle Earl, the powerhouse all-female stringband, Abby’s adopted second homeland is China, and her music resounds with echoes of Appalachia and the tidal wave of emerging Chinese cultural influence.
Together, Fleck and Washburn employ the relatively rare three-finger and claw-hammer banjo duet to create an explosion of musical white heat. No wonder that they are married and have a new baby.
Tickets (starting at $34.50) are available online at www.paramountvt.org or charge by phone by calling 802-775-0903. The Paramount Theatre is located at 30 Center Street, Rutland.
For more info, visit paramountvt.org.
