Martha Bassett

Summertime, and the living is easy. This time last year I was making music on my porch for the birds and squirrels, not exactly the live audience I was used to. Although I miss the porch and the lazy days, summer of 2021 is shaping up to be a gloriously busy time for musicians. My bandmate, Sarah Howell-Miller, recently said that she’s spending all her extra money this summer seeing live music. My hope has been to make music for live audiences. Well friends, my wish has come true. The Reeves Theater is open again to the public this very month. We’ll still be live streaming our shows, but now you can be there in person. One of my favorite things about hosting a show is being able to collaborate with other musicians. They always end up becoming friends. This month is somewhat of a homecoming at the Martha Bassett Show, as I’ll be hosting friends old and new to the Reeves Theater. Justin Poindexter grew up in Greensboro and went to high school and college at UNCSA, majoring in guitar and composition. After graduating he worked in my band for a couple of years before receiving an internship at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, where he now heads the largest in-school jazz concert series in the US. His 2014 album with the Amigos, Diner in the Sky, won Americana Album of Year from the Independent Music Awards.

Sasha Papernik is a first generation Russian American, classically trained pianist, accordionist, singer, and songwriter who graduated from Wellesley College and the Manhattan School of Music. She’s a serious artist who masterfully and playfully charms everyone in her presence. Sasha’s songs are vignettes, stories, both personal and universal.

Photos of Our Band by Gabriela Herman

Luckily for us, Justin and Sasha met in the big city, married, and perform together as “Our Band.” They’ve graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. In 2018-19 they toured Poland, Germany, and Estonia as ambassadors of American music for the U.S. State Department. On July 1, they’ll make their second appearance on The Martha Bassett Show. I know you’ll love their unique mix of folk, country, and jazz, bolstered by their beautiful harmonies.

And speaking of couple duos, the Wild Ponies are up next on July 15. Doug and Telisha Williams are a Nashville-based duo who, although grounded in Appalachian old-time music, run the gamut of folk, country, and rock and rock. Both Doug and Telisha were born and raised in Southwest VA and got their start in towns like Galax, which is where they made their most recent record, named after the town, in a shed behind Doug’s old family home. I have Galax on vinyl, and I’ve just about worn it out. There’s a rawness and warmth to this record that’s like spicy comfort food. Wild Ponies will pull you (willingly!) into their honky-tonk party. Summer’s here and the time is right! Do you have a favorite local band that you’ve missed seeing this past year? If so, treat yourself! Come out and make this the sum, sum, summertime that you’ve been waiting for. You deserve it!

Photos of Wild Ponies by Neilson Hubbard