Winners of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons from Seatle WA will be performin g a special show as part of their Northeast Tour on Sun. Sept. 18 at 4pm.. Local blues favorites Ramblin’ Dan Stevens and Clayton Allen will open the show. Stevens and Allen met Hunter and Seamons in Memphis at this years competion on Beale Street and are very excited to bring this world class act to the CT River Valley. Tix are $12
Website: http://www.benjoemusic.com
Check out Ben and Joe’s videos here: http://www.benjoemusic.com/videos/
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 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, it’s 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.
