Flushing Town Hall Presents Country Blues & Dance By Phil Wiggins Blues House Party And The Harris Brothers

On Friday, May 31, Flushing Town Hall will present Country Blues & Dance, when blues legends Phil Wiggins Blues House Party and The Harris Brothers come together on stage to celebrate the shared music and dance traditions of the Piedmont and Appalachian regions.

Country Blues & Dance explores the roots and connections of these rural music and dance traditions, as expressed in the artistry of contemporary masters of tradition. The blues of the Piedmont, the hilly region stretching from Georgia to the Chesapeake, is one of the oldest forms of the genre, drawing heavily on traditional fiddle and banjo string band music that served as a staple at country parties, hoedowns, and square dances.

The Phil Wiggins Blues House Party, representing the traditions of the Piedmont, is comprised of blues harmonica master Phil Wiggins, guitarist Rick Franklin, fiddler Marcus Moore, and dancer Junious Brickhouse. The Harris Brothers, Appalachian blues songsters, round out the program with Reggie on guitar, Ryan on bass, and a kick drum-fashioned from a beaten-up suitcase!

Phil Wiggins is one of the nation's foremost acoustic blues harmonica players. He is a two-time winner of the prestigious W.C. Handy Award and regularly ranks among the world's top harmonica players in Living Blues magazine. In 2017, Phil received a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

The Harris Brothers are a part of the American songster tradition, drawing from diverse currents of vernacular music, including Appalachian bluegrass and the distinctive blues styles of the upland South, as well as country, jazz, and rock.

Reggie Harris (guitar) and Ryan Harris (bass) were born into a musical family in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a hotbed of old-time, bluegrass, gospel, and mountain blues. Known for their showmanship and spontaneity, they never make a set list, so no two performances are alike.

You can see Phil Wiggins perform here, and The Harris Brothers perform here.

Before the 8 PM show, audience members will be treated to a conversation with the artists, moderated by folklorist Jon Lohman, and a dance lesson led by Junious Brickhouse at 7 PM. Tickets are $16, $10 for members and students, and free for teens. Tickets can be purchased at www.flushingtownhall.org or by calling (718) 463-7700 x222.