Husband and wife banjo duo Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn perform at The Ridgefield Playhouse October 9

Editor's note: proceeds from the sales of  Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn merchandise will be donated to Ridgefield Playhouse Arts for Everyone Program.


 

Touring together for the first time, husband and wife banjo duo Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn perform at The Ridgefield Playhouse on October 9

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn have performed as a duo since they first met, trying impromptu duets at picking parties, doing a few tunes at benefits, and occasional radio shows together, but the duo- who are now married to each other- never took their act on the road – until now.  The Ridgefield Playhouse brings “the unofficial First Family of the Banjo” (NPR), Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn to the playhouse stage on Friday, October 9, at 8 p.m. 

The one-of-a-kind banjo duo performs as part of the Mountain Dew Country Series and Pepsi Rock Series Powered by Xfinity.  Merchandise profits from this show will be donated to The Ridgefield Playhouse Arts for Everyone Initiative.  Fleck has said that since starting the tour, the couple has donated sales profit to different non-profit organizations in the cities where they have performed.  A frequent featured artist of media sponsor 90.7fm WFUV, multiple Grammy Award winner Béla Fleck is considered one of the most innovative pickers in the world. His catalog includes everything from traditional bluegrass to progressive jazz. Clawhammer-style banjo player and singer Abigail Washburn blends folk and bluegrass tradition with a global worldview. Her music is heavily influenced by her adopted second homeland of China.

Their first musical collaboration together resulted in an unconventional string quartet comprised of two banjos, cello and violin and called The Sparrow Quartet. Now, between the two of them, Fleck and Washburn used seven different banjos, including a cello banjo, a ukulele banjo that technically belongs to their son Juno and a baritone banjo that Fleck had commissioned specifically for the new album.  When talking about his wife, the  15 Grammy award winner says, "What can I say about my wife Abby, except that the first time I listened to a CD of her music, I started driving so fast that I got pulled over for speeding and was made to walk the line by the men in blue!" Check out this diverse musical group, who is influenced by everyone from Tony Trischka, Earl Scruggs, Chick Corea, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, the Allman Brothers, and Aretha Franklin.  Ticket holders are offered a free glass of house wine with your entrée at Piccolo Pizza and Pasta (24 Prospect Street, Ridgefield) when tickets are presented.

For tickets ($55), call or visit the box office at The Ridgefield Playhouse, (203) 438-5795. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT; ridgefieldplayhouse.org.        

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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