The Town Hall | Black History Month 2019 | The Ebony Hillbillies

February 6 & 7, 2019 10:30am & 12:30pm

The Ebony Hillbillies

Black History Month at The Town Hall I n Pa r t n e r s h i p w i t h C o n E d i s o n

1 2 3 W e s t 4 3 r d S t N YC 1 0 0 3 6 | ( 2 1 2 ) 9 9 7-1 0 0 3 | T HE T OWNHALL .o r g

Artist Bios Henrique “Rique” Prince Violin And Vocals Rique began playing the violin as a child and later studied classical with Charles Meacham of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Having performed fiddle tunes for over 40 years, he’s played with charanga bands, jazz ensembles, and reggae bands, yet his heart always brought him back to the String Band tradition. He founded The Ebony Hillbillies, known first as the Henrique Prince Duo/ Trio. The legacy of African-American String Band music keeps them on the road retelling this slice of American history worldwide.

Norris Washington Bennett Banjo, Mountain Dulcimer, Guitar, And Vocals Norris is a world-class musician with a style all his own.

He’s travelled the world, sharing the stage with some of America’s finest legendary folk artists of the day and recorded two solo compilations for Germany's Bear Family Records, Challenge and Norris' People. He now provides the driving claw hammer rhythm and melodic counterpoint to the fiddle and upright bass that gives this ensemble their unique sound.

Gloria Thomas Gassaway Bones (Percussion) & Vocals Gloria’s command of the stage is unmatchable and unforgettable as she moves crowds with a raucous, uncut brand of ole timey dance music rich in love and spirit! She grew up in a musically gifted family and was eventually seduced by the melting pot of sounds emerging and evolving on the streets of NYC a la jazz, blues, doo wop, soul, Latin rhythms, and rock and roll. Throughout the years she honed her talent and is now singing, dancing, and cutting up with her childhood comrades Henrique Prince and Newman Taylor Baker.

William “Salty Bill” Salter Acoustic Bass Three-time Grammy Award winner and Harlem native Salty Bill is known as one of New York City's top bassists, as well as a talented songwriter, composer, producer, singer, and music publisher. His career has taken him from New York City's prestigious High School of the Performing Arts, where he studied music; to his first professional job, where he worked as a bassist alongside major folk singer Pete Seeger; to a career that’s encompassed virtually every arena of music.

Àllanah Salter Shaker (Percussion) & Vocals Àllanah, who wrote and recorded with her group The Creations, is also a seasoned actress and a long-time esteemed member of Harlem’s famous Riverside Church.

Her songs include The Bells Are Ringing and the b-side Shang, Shang — the latter created on the spot in the studio under the direction of the legendary producer Phil Spector.

She also starred in classic off-Broadway shows, including James Baldwin's Blues for Mister Charlie, Rochelle Owens' X Has No Value, and Leroi Jones' Slaveship.

Newman Taylor Baker Washboard Percussion Newman’s passion for the drum and washboard has taken him all around the world to share his knowledge, experience, and innovation through both his Washboard XT project with The Ebony Hillbillies and his solo drumset project, Singin' Drums. Newman was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and grants from Meet The Composer and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is truly a drummer's drummer - and a washboard innovator.

Ali “A. R.” Rahman/Reggie Ferguson (Cowboy) Percussion Through the ‘50s Reggie played Latin music with some of the finest architects of Latin music; in the ‘60s, became the fulltime house drummer for the NYC's Apollo Theater, working with the who’s who of music; in the ‘80s Reggie Ferguson was retired, later to be reinvented as A. R. He’s now an Ebony Hillbillies washboard player and percussionist, whose sense of timing and swing is unparalleled.

STUDENT POSTER & ESSAY CONTEST Students are encouraged to enter The Town Hall and Con Edison’s Black History Month Student Poster & Essay Contest following the performance. Five winners will receive an award of $50, to be presented at an award ceremony. Winners will have their posters and essays featured for one year on The Town Hall website. Teachers should review and correct grammar, but not suggest or alter content. Teachers must collect and submit all posters and essays. All submissions must include the student’s name, school grade, teacher, and school phone number on the back of each entry in pencil. Only posters or essays from students who attended the performance will be accepted.

POSTER GUIDELINES Design a poster for Black History Month that illustrates one or more of the types of instruments demonstrated by the Ebony Hillbillies.

Size: 8.5” x 11” Medium: crayon, marker, colored pencil, tempera paint ESSAY GUIDELINES Write an essay on one of the following topics: • My favorite part of the Ebony Hillbillies performance was _______ because ________.

• I want to learn more about jazz improvisation, country, blues or bluegrass. Please choose one only and explain why.

• During the performance, I was most surprised by ________.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Entries must be postmarked no later than Friday, March 22, 2019.

Please remit to: BRITNI MONTALBANO The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036

For more information, contact: Britni Montalbano at 212-997-1003 x17 or bmontalbano@thetownhall.org.

Art: Joshua Gastelu - 5th grade, PS 197 Manhattan Teacher: Ms. Degraffenreid

Black History Month is sponsored by Con Edison.

This and other programs are made possible, in part, by the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.