The Ebony Hillbillies
The Ebony Hillbillies
The premier African-American string band in America!
From the street corners of Manhattan to the hallowed stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to appearances on the BBC and ABC’s “Good Morning America,” The Ebony Hillbillies are a true phenomenon!
The Ebony Hillbillies are not only one of the last black/African-American string bands in America, but they are the only string band based in NYC keeping an almost forgotten American musical legacy alive. Consisting of fiddle, banjo, washboard and bass fiddle, they have successfully created a following that has bridged a gap in audiences of pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, blues and beyond, while maintaining their grassroots credibility.
This 19th-century string dance band sound was made popular in the 1920's and 1930’s and was a key element in the genesis of jazz and virtually everything after (blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock & roll, country, etc.) This over-300-year-old musical history lesson allows the band to travel the world bringing people together educating and entertaining audiences about this important piece of Americana through concerts, workshops and festivals.
Keeping these essential traditions alive while bringing fresh musical and philosophical urgency to the genre, the ensemble includes several multi-talented musical vets, who together create an untamed, joyful, heartfelt and toe-tapping vibe that captures elements of pop, country, bluegrass, folk, rock and jazz--echoing across the generations while transcending racial and cultural boundaries.
“What a wonderful connection to all our humanity.” --New York Times
“If you often take the shuttle from Central Park, you’ve probably stopped to listen to an African-American string band called the Ebony Hillbillies, and wished you didn’t have to go to work!” --The New Yorker
“They get double takes, if not full pauses when they play!” --The Wall Street Journal
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
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This project is made possible with funds from the Tier Three Project Support program, a regrant program of the County of Onondaga with the support of the County Executive and administered by CNY Arts. |
~ This project is also made possible through the support and generosity of our Folkus members. ~