GRAMMY AWARD WINNER DOM FLEMONS, “THE AMERICAN SONGSTER” PERFORMS ON THE GRAND OLE OPRY, MAKING HIS SOLO DEBUT

FLEMONS PLOTS NATIONAL TOUR

‘BLACK COWBOYS’ CHARTS FOR 7 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS ON BILLBOARD BLUEGRASS

PERFORMED AND INTERVIEWED ON WORLD CAFÉ AND NPR’S ‘HERE AND NOW’

NPR’s Ann Powers recently did a performance/chat on “The American Songster” Dom Flemons’ new Smithsonian Folkways album ‘Black Cowboys,’ an exploration of the often prominent role that African-American pioneers played in the westward expansion: https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2018/04/12/601799377/world-cafe-nashville-dom-flemons

Ann Powers said, “The work Dom Flemons is doing on the West is flat-out revolutionary. Take the time to listen to him talk about 'Black Cowboys.'”

Flemons, who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday May 11, plans to hit the road this year for a series of tour dates. As a founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, they were the first all-black string band to perform at the Opry ten years ago. This time he was the only solo performer on a night that celebrated Carrie Underwood as a 10-year Opry member and also showcased Old Crow Medicine Show, Riders in the Sky and others.

‘Black Cowboys’ has spent seven consecutive weeks on Billboard Bluegrass, charted up to #2 on the Folk radio chart, and has garnered other spotlights in Wide Open Country, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, Washington City Paper, American Blues Scene, and American Songwriter.

Dom Flemons Tour Dates:

June 2 – Spirits of Summer Festival – Winston-Salem, NC
June 9 – Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival – Washington, D.C.
June 10 – Sellersville Theater 1894 – Sellersville, PA
June 17 – Birchmere Old Time Banjo Festival – Alexandria, VA
June 23 – Salute! Music and Brew Fest – Greensboro, NC
June 24 – Athfest – Athens, GA
June 29 – OK Theatre – Enterprise, OR
July 6 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO
July 7 – Crystal Bridges Museum – Bentonville, AR
July 15 – 3rd & Lindsley – Nashville, TN
July 19 – Ace Hotel – Pittsburgh, PA
July 26 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
July 28 – Harvest House Performing Arts Venue – Boone, NC
August 8 – Hopewell Theater – Hopewell, NJ
August 31 – Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival – Woodstown, NJ
September 1 – Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center – Greenfield, MA
September 13 – Americana Music Festival – Nashville, TN
September 15 – Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival – Flagstaff, AZ
September 22 – The Grand Annex – San Pedro, CA
September 25 – The Side Door @ The Fifth String – Sacramento, CA
September 27 – Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse – Berkeley, CA
February 21 – Oxford American Concert Series – Little Rock, AR

The first album of its kind, 'Black Cowboys' takes the listener on an illuminating journey "from the trails to the rails" of the Old West. The 18-song set traverses a varied soundscape featuring string blues, old-time square dance music, and cowboy poetry. Flemons is joined by a celebrated group of backing musicians throughout the record, such as GRAMMY-winning bluesman Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers), and decorated folklorist and Folkways' director emeritus Dan Sheehy, who co-produced the album.

Dom Flemons "Steel Pony Blues" music video

Dom Flemons 'Black Cowboys' videos

10TH ANNUAL BROOKLYN FOLK FEST PLANNING NUMEROUS FAMILY EVENTS

FEST HOSTS ELIZABETH MITCHELL & SUNI PAZ'S NYC RELEASE SHOW FOR NEW SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS ALBUM!

Kids 5 & UNDER GET FREE TICKETS

12 & UNDER ARE ½ PRICE

The 10th annual Brooklyn Folk Festival features great events for the whole family, including a
series of Sunday afternoon programs. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artists Elizabeth Mitchell
and Suni Paz will perform together Sunday April 8th at 2:45pm, marking the release of 'Tú Eres
Mi Flor,' their new children’s album on the label.

Elizabeth Mitchell is celebrating her 20th anniversary as a children’s music favorite. Based in
the Catskill Mountains, she has appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show, NPR All Things
Considered, and HBO Family’s A Family Is A Family Is A Family. The LA Times called
Mitchell’s songs “children’s music that adults – or at least parents – can enjoy.”

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Suni Paz has been charming audiences for fifty years
with songs in English and Spanish. She has performed at Madison Square Garden and Suni
was awarded the Magic Penny Award by the Children's Music Network and a Parents Choice Award.

For more information on Elizabeth Mitchell and Suni Paz, please go to: https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/elizabeth-mitchell-suni-paz-tu-eres-mi-flor or http://www.mayersconsulting.com/clients/#/elizabeth-mitchell-suni-paz/

Here are press photos of Elizabeth and Suni: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vvvteifrk8ycwj3/AACFxbPg3ctA2XdZ0YV4uZmda?dl=0

There will be two family friendly square dances, Saturday at 4pm and Sunday at 4:45pm,
both in the Parish Hall.  Sunday afternoon will also feature performances by the Jalopy Jr.
Folk Stringband and Jalopy Jr. Folk Intermediate Ensemble.  Both groups of children have
been learning at the Jalopy Theatre's Jalopy Jr. Folk School program.  Sunday also features
a parade, led by a jug band, to the "Banjo Toss" banjo throwing competition arena! which
children are encouraged to join.

The festival’s vendor area features homemade ice cream and chocolate treats as well as
healthy snacks and sandwiches.

The Brooklyn Folk Festival has made children's tickets accessible. Children age 5 and under
get in free and ages 6-12 are 1/2 price. More information on tickets is at:
http://brooklynfolkfest.com/tickets/

The complete festival schedule and more information can be found at www.BrooklynFolkFest.com

"The American Songster" Dom Flemons Explores History of the American West With Collection of African American Cowboy Songs

'Black Cowboys' Due Out March 23 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings 
 
'Black Cowboys' is the new album from multi-instrumentalist, songster, and co-founding member of the GRAMMY Award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dom Flemons. More than a collection of songs from the "Wild West," the record sheds light on the prominent but often overlooked role African American pioneers played in westward expansion.

In 2018, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings celebrates its 70th anniversary, honoring Folkways founder Moses Asch's mission to "document the people's music." As a musical torchbearer and innovator, Dom Flemons is committed to extending and reinterpreting Asch's legacy in the modern age. Joining him on this year's extensive release schedule are avant-garde folk duo Anna & Elizabeth, Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim AlHaj, Tejano giants Los Texmaniacs, and special projects that include the 'Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap,' a topical box set on 'The Social Power of Music,' and extensive retrospectives on Folkways greats Pete Seeger and Barbara Dane.

Listen to this 3-song sampling of the record.

The first album of its kind, 'Black Cowboys' takes the listener on an illuminating journey "from the trails to the rails" of the Old West. The 18-song set traverses a varied soundscape featuring string blues, old-time square dance music, and cowboy poetry. Flemons is joined by a celebrated group of backing musicians throughout the record, such as GRAMMY-winning bluesman Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers), and decorated folklorist and Folkways' director emeritus Dan Sheehy, who co-produced the album.

From the first, plaintive line sung on the album opener, a field holler called "Black Woman," it's clear that Flemons' relationship with this material runs deep. Indeed, in 2016, Flemons himself followed the westward path taken by Lewis and Clark and their slave, York, "crossing every original cattle trail and Indian trading post along the way."

In addition to the album's re-worked traditional songs, Flemons includes original songs written specifically for the occasion. "One Dollar Bill" reflects on the portrayal of black cowboys in Hollywood Westerns, "He's a Lone Ranger" tells the story of Bass Reeves (an escaped slave who became the first African American Deputy US Marshal west of the Mississippi), and "Steel Pony Blues" pays tribute to Nat Love, the former slave turned Pullman porter who spent time as a rancher in Flemons' native state of Arizona.

Flemons is also a historian, music scholar, and collector. He has long carried a torch of awareness that many traditional American songs and tunes in fact originated from, or were influenced by, the musical and storytelling traditions of African Americans and Native Americans. Flemons illustrates the complex cultural exchange that happened on the frontier in the 40-page liner notes booklet, reminding us that the American West was a much more diverse environment than old Western films and dime novels would have us believe. On his rendition of "Home on the Range," arguably one of the most celebrated Western songs of all time, Flemons explains that the popularized version came from a variant recorded in 1908, sung by a black bartender in San Antonio.

Flemons' love of cowboy songs and history traces back to his manifold familial connections to the region in which he was born and raised. His grandfather worked as a preacher and sawmill laborer in the same Arizona town Nat Love called home, and after emigrating from Mexico, his maternal ancestors became civil rights leaders in Arizona. A decade ago, after serendipitously coming across the book 'The Negro Cowboys' on a road trip from North Carolina to Phoenix, Flemons began immersing himself in research and interviews on the subject. After his first experience at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in February 2016, he was inspired to bring his passion for this material into the studio, and began recording 'Black Cowboys' two months later.

Along with its substantive liner notes, the album packaging includes historic portraits of many of the songs' subjects, Flemons' personal family photos, tintype wet plate photographs taken on a 19th-century camera, and cover art featuring a portrait of Flemons by the celebrated Western artist William Matthews.

Part of the Smithsonian Folkways' African American Legacy Series, the album was produced in conjunction with the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Flemons joins the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings family as the label celebrates its 70th anniversary, in part with an initiative to partner with more contemporary, living artists who carry on traditional forms of music in the modern age.

Though extensively researched and likely educational for many listeners, 'Black Cowboys' is much more than a history lesson. It's a collection both plaintive and upbeat, which evokes the familiar nostalgia for the Old West without sacrificing the truth of the matter. With this recording, Flemons further solidifies his place at the contemporary forefront of the American song tradition, and presents an innovative blend of traditional forms with a modern sensibility for the 21st century.

'Black Cowboy Track List:
1. Black Woman
2. Texas Easy Street
3. One Dollar Bill
4. Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad
5. Tyin' Knots in the Devil's Tail
6. Home on the Range
7. Ol' Proc
8. John Henry y los vaqueros
9. Po' Howard/Gwine Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In
10. Knox County Stomp
11. He's a Lone Ranger
12. Steel Pony Blues
13. Little Joe the Wrangler
14. Charmin' Betsy
15. Goodbye Old Paint
16. Lonesome Old River Blues
17. The March of Red River Valley
18. Old Chisholm Trail

For more information on Dom Flemons tour press, please contact Nick Loss-Eaton at nick.losseaton@gmail.com or 718.541.1130.

FIRST GREAT EASTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 AT HISTORIC MONTAUK LIGHTHOUSE

MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO HOST GRAMMY WINNER SARAH JAROSZ, “GREAT BAND” (ROLLING STONE) THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL, AND BLUEGRASS LEGENDS SELDOM SCENE

Saturday, September 16, 2017 will mark the first Great Eastern Music Festival, presented by The Montauk Historical Society at The Montauk Lighthouse, located at the easternmost tip of Long Island. The Americana, roots, and bluegrass festival will be headlined by GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz “best live band in Los Angeles” (LA Weekly) The Dustbowl Revival, “rising country star” (Rolling Stone) Sam Outlaw; and “timeless” (CMT) 45-year veterans and Smithsonian Folkways artists Seldom Scene.

The idyllic setting provides 360 degree views of Block Island, the Atlantic Ocean and beyond.  Proceeds from the event will fund ongoing maintenance of the Lighthouse and the maintenance of the retaining wall on the ocean side.

Also featured will be “banjo wiz” (Brooklyn Vegan) Tall Tall Trees Miles to Dayton, and Long Island bluegrass favorites, Eastbound Freight, and Buddy Merriam & Back Roads. The Save the Oceans Stage will feature performances by Gravity Jazz Quartet, Gene Casey, M2D Trio, Pluck & Rail, Bill Scorzari, He-Bird, She-Bird, Kirsten Maxwell, and Hank Stone as well as an ocean water quality display and lectures from the Montauk Oceans Institute.

“It’s been a long time dream of board member, Greg Donohue and The Montauk Historical Society to present a concert on the Lighthouse grounds,” said event manager and spokesperson, Bill Ayasse. “The natural amphitheater on its North side make it a perfect location. They would like to make it an annual event.”

Tickets are $65 for general admission, $25 for children ages 6 – 12, and free for kids ages 0 – 5.​ Tickets can be purchased at http://www.greateasternmusicfestival.com​

. Please see the website for parking information.

For on-site sponsorship opportunities, please call John Brisotti, 516-527-6849.

The Montauk Lighthouse was built from 1792-1796 and commissioned by George Washington in 1797.  The Lighthouse Committee of the Montauk Historical Society is dedicated to the protection, preservation, and educational development of this national historic site. Through programs, exhibits, publications, and special events, the story of this site will be conveyed to the public.

THE AMERICAN SONGSTER REEMERGES

As James Reeds points out in his Q&A with Dom Flemons in The Boston Globe, (which one can read here. Dom Flemons outgoing voicemail states, “Hello, this is Dom Flemons, American songster.” The founding member of the GRAMMY-winning, Grand Ole Opry and Newport-playing Carolina Chocolate Drops has left to go solo and his new album ‘Prospect Hill’ comes out July 22 on Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Flemons says, “I was first made aware of the term from Paul Oliver’s book ‘Songster and Saints.’ A songster is a musician that plays and sings their music.  They are also known to sing a variety of songs that their audience would know.” Other historians describe songsters as pre-blues and early blues-era entertainer whose repertoires encompassed a vast repertoire of different genres, which in Dom’s case include: New Orleans jazz, double-entendre tunes, Piedmont blues, ballads, original songs, fife and drum music, harmonica instrumentals, and more, played with style and showmanship on a variety of instruments such as the guitar, banjo, harmonica, quills, and spoons.

Dom explains that these songs relate directly to experiences of living in the 21st century, saying, “I do what I can to find the common ground between keeping the older style present in my arrangements while finding things that speak to me as a modern person.  Even though I can play a song that is 100 years old, I hope that whatever I might do I will be able to show my audience why I picked any given number and hope that they can find relevance in the way I am presenting it.”

Dom isn’t the only one talking about songsters in 2014. On June 24, Smithsonian Folkways released ‘Classic African American Songsters from Smithsonian Folkways.’ Co-producer of that compilation Barry Lee Pearson puts it, “[A songster] is both a keeper of tradition, disseminating folk materials wherever he goes, and tradition’s worst enemy, contaminating local tradition with modern popular music.”

Flemons proclaims 2014 as “Year of the folksinger,” explaining to the Boston Globe, “There’s a lot of energy and movement in the folk community that has been happening for several years. I’ve been keeping an eye on it, and I’ve seen it growing.”

In the industry, folk music is gaining track as well, most recently exemplified by the continued growth of the Americana Festival and Conference and the GRAMMYs’ addition of 'Best American Roots Song' in the American Roots Music Field, the only new category this year.

Dom Flemons tour dates are here.

Flemons says, “I embrace the twisted history that formed our country and I hope that I can play and sing to make a few small improvements.”