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Event
Music at the BoatShop: Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons
Every other month or so, the Gig Harbor BoatShop is proud to present our MUSIC AT THE BOATSHOP concert series.
Help us welcome * Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons * for the next show, Friday, July 22nd @ 7pm!
Tickets are $20 for the public, or $15 for BoatShop members. All ages show, open seating. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. You can also order tickets in person at the shop or by calling (253) 857-9344.
Northwest roots music duo Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons won critical acclaim in 2016 when they took 1st Place out of 94 solo/duo acts from 16 countries at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Even before that, Ben and Joe have been in demand as performers for their unique blend of pre-blues a cappella field hollers, fiddle & banjo breakdowns, and duet distillations of early jazz.
The songs on their new album, The North Wind & The Sun, tap into everything from Memphis Jug Band blues to work songs recorded in Southern prisons. They also touch on an 1861 composition used to recruit black troops for the Civil war, original adaptations of traditional songs, and an early jazz composition of Duke Ellington. All of these traditions are tied together in the swirling musical whirlpool of pre-war American music.
Ben and Joe have been playing together for almost 5 years, the last 3 of which sent them to the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival, learning at the feet of the elders of the acoustic blues tradition. They found an affinity in the many branches that tied into the blues and created this duo as a way to explore these branches. Their musical kinship and sense of joy in interpreting this music is evident and was the basis of an invitation from Dom Flemons (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) to tour and record for his album Prospect Hill. Last year, they launched an ongoing documentary film project to explore modern day music along the Mississippi River.
Rather than thinking of their music as blues, its best to situate Ben and Joe as American songsters. A songster traditionally refers to an artist whose repertoire is much broader than the old blues, and spans many of the genres that Ben and Joe Inhabit. Uncle Dave Macon and Robert Johnson are classic examples of songsters. Whatever you want to call it, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons make American music. They make music that hews to the rough-and-tumble collisions of musical inspirations from the early 20th century; music that paved the way for everything we enjoy today.
Past concerts at the BoatShop have generally sold out, so don't wait too long to get your tickets for this special venue, the last public example of Gig Harbor's working waterfront and maritime heritage.
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LocationGig Harbor BoatShop (Eddon Boatyard) (View)
3805 Harborview Drive
Gig Harbor, WA 98332
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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