The Ebony Hillbillies
Sabrina's Holiday
Track Listings:
1. Bonaparte's Retreat
2. Cotton-eyed Joe
3. The Old Carpenter's Waltz
4. Hell Among The Yearlings
5. Liza Jane
6. Sugar In The Gourd
7. Soldier's Joy
8. Shenandoah
9. Chicken Reel
10. Cluck Ol' Hen
11. Rock Along John
12. Oh Susannah
13. Granny Will Your Dog Bite
14. Sabrina's Holiday
Musicians:
Henrique Prince - (violin, vocals)
Norris Bennett - (banjo, mountain dulcimer, vocals)
Dave Colding - (acoustic bass)
Produced by Archie "Tex" Walker
Engineered by: Stephen Cee for Youngblood
copyrighted 2004 EH Music Incorporated
The Ebony Hillbillies are not only one of the last black string bands in AMERICA, but they are the only string band based in NYC. Consisting of fiddle, banjo, washboard and bass fiddle, they have successfully created a following that has crossed over to audiences in pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz and beyond while maintaining their grassroots credibility. Their 19thcentury string band sound was popular in the 1920's and 1930's. This was a key element in the genesis of jazz and virtually everything after (blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock & roll, etc...). Those myriad influences can be heard to good effect on the group's debut CD, Sabrina's Holiday. The disc explodes with fascinating takes on such standards as "Liza Jane," "Granny Will Your Dog Bite" and a particularly edgy interpretation of "Cluck Old Hen" along with a couple of originals and the old folk song, "Shenandoah," which Norris sings with power and passion.
Sabrina's Holiday is also a showcase for Norris' hard-charging dulcimer playing. "The dulcimer fits together with the violin in a different way than the banjo and the fiddle," Rique explains. Rhythmically, it's a completely different sound. [When Norris switches from the banjo over to the dulcimer], it's like 'here we go—now we're a different group!'"
The Ebony Hillbillies' debut CD, Sabrina's Holiday provides a great introduction to a largely forgotten cultural legacy
The Ebony HillbilliesI Thought You Knew
Track Listings:
1. ALGIA MAE
2. JERICHO
3. I THOUGHT YOU KNEW
4. LIZA JANE
5. CLUCK OLD HEN
6. LAURA'S SONG
7. MAMA & PAPA'S WALTZ
8. DANGEROUS MAN
9. COMING OF AGE
10. HUGO
11. ANNA MAE (A LULLABY)
12. IDA RED (GYPSY RED)
13. TIME TO LEARN
14. WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS
15. SEXUAL HEALING
Musicians:
Henrique Prince - (violin, vocals)
Norris Bennett - (banjo, mountain dulcimer, vocals)
Dave Colding - (acoustic bass)
Ricky Gordon - (percussion)
Tony Garnier - (acoustic bass on trk. 15 - Sexual Healing)
Produced by Larry Baeder & Archie "Tex" Walker
Arranged by The Ebony Hillbillies & Archie "Tex" Walker
Engineered by: Tom Hemleb at Pyramid Studios
Protools Programming by Kathyryn Diehl
Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk NYC
Art Design by Gloria Gassaway
Photography by Martha Holmes
copyrighted 2005 EH Music Incorporated
Dedicated to Algia Mae Hinton & Martha Holmes
The Ebony Hillbillies are not only one of the last black string bands in AMERICA, but they are the only string band based in NYC. Consisting of fiddle, banjo, washboard and bass fiddle, they have successfully created a following that has crossed over to audiences in pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz and beyond while maintaining their grassroots credibility. Their 19thcentury string band sound was popular in the 1920's and 1930's. This was a key element in the genesis of jazz and virtually everything after (blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock & roll, etc...). With a nothing's off limits repertoire that pays homage to tradition but keeps an eye and ear on the present and future, The Ebony Hillbillies play a mix of tasty originals, unique renditions of classics we know and love ("Waltz Across Texas," "Liza Jane," Tim O'Brien's "Time To Learn," "Cluck Ol' Hen," "Jericho") and wonderfully unexpected contemporary pop/soul songs like Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing."
The Ebony Hillbillies' sophomore CD, I Thought You Knew continues to provide a great introduction to a largely forgotten cultural legacy
The Ebony Hillbillies Poster
