(no subject)

[miko2]

Today's song: Liza Jane by The Ebony Hillbillies

Before there was bluegrass, there were string bands. And before there were white string bands, there were black string bands. You may know that the banjo is a black instrument developed in America by African slaves (based on several African instruments), but how often do you see black banjo performers? How often do you see a genuine black string band?

I'm happy to say that I know of at least two -- The Carolina Chocolate Drops, and the Ebony Hillbillies. I discovered both of them in my search for more good folk/accoustic/bluegrass/string music to download from eMusic. The Ebony Hillbillies appeal to me in particular because they play on the streets and subways of New York City, and this is music that people need to be introduced to. ^_^ Unfortunately they're not on eMusic (the Carolina Chocolate Drops are) but luckily both bands can be found on iTunes. You can find them at Amazon too.

The Ebony Hillbillies (live in the subway)
The Ebony Hillbillies (subway performance)
The Ebony Hillbillies (street performance)