Crooked Road Guitar Summit in Marion, VA

Virginia’s Crooked Road invites all guitarists to attend their special Guitar Summit this weekend in Marion at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts. It’s being hosted in celebration of the release of their album, A Century of Heritage Guitar Music, a double CD project featuring a compilation of historic and contemporary players in the southwestern Virginia region.

For the Summit they will have live performances from guitarists on the album, plus workshops and lecture demonstrations, with plenty of handmade guitars by area luthiers on display. Jam rooms will be set up to allow pickers to go at it as they will, and the admission fee is only $10 for adults, and $5 for Junior Appalachian Musicians program students, and those 12 and under.

Twenty of the guitarists on the album will be performing on site this Saturday, November 4 from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

In addition to vintage cuts from Maybelle Carter which open and close the project, Crooked Road Executive Director Jack Hinshelwood says that they spread a wide net to find talented pickers for A Century of Heritage Guitar Music who may be unfamiliar to a wider audience.

“We invited guitarists in the region who might not have ever recorded a CD before to sit down and record themselves and send us the recording for consideration. By doing that we captured some amazing guitar playing that very few people have ever heard.”

The Guitar Summit will include seminars on a variety of topics. ETSU Professor Ted Olson will speak on the role of the guitar in the region’s traditional music, and Gary Reid will give a presentation on George Shuffler, noted crosspicking guitarist who toured and rec orded with The Stanley Brothers. The music of blues artist Archie Edwards will be discussed by Eleanor Ellis, who toured and played with Edwards for some time.

Students and lovers of mountain style guitar will have much to enjoy and learn if they can attend.

After the Summit has concluded, attendees may choose to walk around the corner from the Henderson School to see the live taping of the Song Of The Mountains television program at 7:00 p.m. Performers include the Jeff Little Trio with Wayne Henderson, Brandon Lee Adams, and Gravy Boys. This is a separately ticketed event.

More details on the Crooked Road Guitar Summit can be obtained by calling the School at 276-706-4010.

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John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.