Jake Blount
EVENT DETAILS:
August 5, 7:30 pm
Keene Valley Congregational Church
Jake Blount (pronounced: blunt) is an award-winning interpreter of Black folk music based in Providence, RI. Initially recognized for his skill as a string band musician, Blount has charted an unprecedented, Afrofuturist course on his pilgrimage through sound archives and song collections. In his hands, the banjo, fiddle, electric guitar and synthesizer become ceremonial objects used to channel the insurgent creativity of his forebears. Blount’s performances - like his recent Smithsonian Folkways releases, Symbiont (2024) and The New Faith (2022) - seamlessly merge centuries-old traditional songs with the trappings and techniques of modern Black genres.
Blount has shared his music at venues including Carnegie Hall, Newport Folk Festival, the Library of Congress and NPR’s Tiny Desk. His knowledge and skill have deepened over the course of his still-young career, and his vision has grown more ambitious - but his music has only grown in popular appeal. His records have appeared on "best of year" lists from outlets including The New Yorker, NPR, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone. With the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, two International Folk Music Awards nominations, Blount’s star continues to rise. His thoughtful musicianship has made him a sought-after collaborator; he’s opened for Rhiannon Giddens and Molly Tuttle, and collaborated with the Kronos Quartet on their sold-out 50th Anniversary performance at Carnegie Hall. EBFA is particularly excited to present Jake Blount in his first North Country performance. Please join us; before too long, he’ll be selling out major venues around the world.
