Fayetteville State’s Seabrook Performance Series Presents Concert Combining two Eras of Blues for a Foot Tapping, Enjoyable Evening November 11th
Two generations of Blues entertainers, one younger, the other well-established, Selwyn Birchwood and “Big Ron” Hunter respectively brings a full gamut of excitement for the genre, when Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) Seabrook Performance Series (SPS) presents an evening of Blues, 7 p.m., Nov. 11th in J.W. Seabrook Auditorium on the FSU campus.
With his fiery guitar and lap steel playing, his trailblazing, instantly memorable songs and gritty, unvarnished vocals, Birchwood is among the most extraordinary young stars in the blues. His deep familiarity with blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures, all delivered with a revival tent preacher's fervor and a natural storyteller's charisma.
Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut, Don't Call No Ambulance, Birchwood's meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages is nothing short of phenomenal, as he continues to set the contemporary blues world on fire. The album received the Blues Music Award and Living Blues Critics' Award for Best Debut Album of 2014, and he won the 2015 Blues Blast Rising Star Award. Rolling Stone says Birchwood is "a remarkable contemporary Bluesman...a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist..."
Birchwood and his band have crisscrossed the U.S. and Europe repeatedly, delivering unforgettable live performances. With his new album, Pick Your Poison, Birchwood, along with his band - saxophonist Regi Oliver, bassist Huff Wright and drummer Courtney "Big Love" Girlie - takes a major step forward, crafting visionary blues for a new generation of forward - looking fans.
A crowd favorite for decades, North Carolina's own "Big Ron" Hunter has been called the world's happiest Bluesman. He has a voice that gives people chills. It's the kind of voice that carries warmth and tenderness, a voice that is unmistakably his own and embodies everything that's raw, pure and beautiful about the blues.
Hunter has performed throughout Europe and the south and northeast United States, including the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts in New York City. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Hunter learned guitar from his father when he was a young boy and was later mentored by the late American blues great Guitar Gabriel.
Hunter plays and sings his own songs, combining a bluesy, yet sweet and melodic voice with his original brand of uplifting, hard-banging and acoustic blues.
Tickets costs $20 to $75. To purchase tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2yLWMrv.
For information on all Seabrook Performance Series events, follow us on twitter: @jwseabrook or facebook.com/jwseabrook.
