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Rootstone

About Me


Rootstone is rising. When New Roanoke Jug Band founder Jay Griffin announced his retirement on the second day of the 2008 his longtime partner, guitarist and songster Scott Baldwin, found himself suddenly at the head of the band. Upright bass ace Jeff Hofmann and brilliant young multi-instrumentalist Sam Lunsford were still excited about being in a jug band, so they recruited two of Sam’s contemporaries. John Thompson(guitar, strings & vocals) and Sean Poff (washboard, jug & vocals) joined, and these five are the Rootstone Jug Band.
The group’s inaugural performance at an opening of New Harmonies Roots Music exhibit in Hopewell, Virginia was met with enthusiastic response from a diverse audience. Three weeks later the band thrilled a crowd of thousands at Roanoke’s annual Strawberry Festival, keeping the audience as entertained as the preceding act, who faithfully recreated modern radio hits.
The band’s informal style draws the audience into the experiment. Around a single microphone they congregate and summon rich strains of american roots music. The synergy at work in the outfit is evident as they bring a rich repertoire of music to life. The band plays for the songs. A growing catalog of originals sit comfortably beside unique arrangements and little known gems from obscure recordings. The selections cover a wide stylistic range, all of them played in a way that respects the music’s influences yet treats them as living tradition.
Rootstone Jug Band will be accepting limited bookings in 2008. Work is underway for a limited pressing CD in early 2009. Stay tuned for what happens next.
For booking contact: Scott Baldwin
rootstonemusic [at ]gmail.com

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 14/01/2008
Band Website: www.rootstone.net
Band Members: ROOTSTONE JUG BAND

Star City Sheiks

Second Hand Jug Band

New Roanoke Jug Band (2000-2007)

Roanoke Roots : source material

more to come...
Influences: Memphis, Piedmont, Delta and Southern Appalachian sounds.
Sounds Like: Early American travelers sharing the sacrament of sound.
Record Label: Rootstone
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

January 15th Show with Charlie Parr

Alright folks, this is one you don't want to miss.  Charlie Parr from Duluth, Minnesota is on tour and coming to Roanoke.  This guy has really got it - great picking and singing.  He'...
Posted by on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:59:00 GMT

79 RPM Tour Diary 2 - October 17th, 2008

79 RPM Tour Diary 2: The Road to Baltimore The long awaited second entry of out 79RPM tour in October finds our jug band riding up US 301 in the mist into Maryland. We find the venue pretty easily...
Posted by on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:40:00 GMT

79 RPM Tour Diary 1 - October 16-17, 2008

10.16.2008 After getting everyone on board the van (no easy feat at an early hour), we arrive at Camp Bethel and find hordes of kids, ready to move to the music. We unload a few cases and get right t...
Posted by on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:47:00 GMT

Songs

I just put up a rough demo of France Blues we recorded the other night. When I say rough, I do mean rough. It took a lot of waiting around to get everyone together, as the preparations for the Boys ...
Posted by on Sat, 10 May 2008 09:05:00 GMT

Review of our Inaugural Release

from February 2008 Issue of Bluegrass UnlimitedThe New Roanoke Jug Band derives its name from another group that was active in the 1920s and 1930s. This all-gospel collection is the group's third rele...
Posted by on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:38:00 GMT