The music and dance traditions of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains are legendary.
Residents continue a musical heritage that stretches back many generations. In this lively guidebook, noted folklorist Fred C. Fussell puts readers on the trail to discover the many sites in western North Carolina where this unique musical legacy thrives. Organized by region and county, Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina welcomes readers into the rich worlds of bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and string band music, as well as clogging, flatfooting, and other forms of traditional dance.
The book, a project of the North Carolina Arts Council and its partner, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, features a CD with more than 20 songs by musicians profiled in the book, historic recordings of the region’s most influential musicians spanning nine decades–available for the first time here–and songs based on true stories of love, crime, and tragedy set in the North Carolina mountains.
Includes:
- driving directions & maps
- venue contact information
- color photographs and profiles of prominent mountain musicians
- informative sidebars on musicians and performance styles
- a CD with 20 music tracks
About the Author
Fred C. Fussell is a writer, curator, artist, and documentary photographer whose work focuses on the traditional folk culture of the American South.
Steve Kruger is a folklorist and Appalachian musician who lives in Hillsborough, N.C.
Reviews
“Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” is an exciting guide to the rich treasure trove of traditional music to be found in North Carolina.”
–David Holt, Grammy-award-winning musician and storyteller“No other place on earth feels or sounds like the North Carolina mountains. This book makes me so homesick–it’s a beautiful guide to that beautiful part of the world.”
–Tift Merritt, songwriter and North Carolina native“An amazing reference book for the musical environments that nurture one of America’s continuously prolific and relevant regions. A joy for those who are new to traditional music and an excellent resource of stories and insights that will also impress longtime fans of old-time music.”
–Dom Flemons, American songster and co-founder, Carolina Chocolate Drops“This book is a veritable treasure map! Anyone who chooses to follow its lead will uncover a culture and tradition that is absolutely priceless.”
–Bryan Sutton, Grammy-winning guitarist and western North Carolina native“Music often transports us, but rarely does it guide us so directly to the sites and scenes of its homeland. With this multifaceted, insider’s companion at hand, you will travel into the very heart and soul of North Carolina’s rich music and dance traditions and hear some wonderful music along the way.”
–Fiona Ritchie, producer and host of NPR’s “The Thistle & Shamrock”
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