THE EBONY HILLBILLIES Appearing at Town Hall

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THE EBONY HILLBILLIES
Town Hall
Black History Month Educational Series
February 6 & 7, 2019
2 free shows per day @ 10:30am & 12:30pm
and an evening show
plus 2 more special school events TBA

Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036

THE EBONY HILLBILLIES -
THE PREMIER AFRICAN-AMERICAN STRING BAND IN AMERICA!

From the street corners of Manhattan to the hallowed stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to TV appearances on the BBC and ABC's "Good Morning America, " The Ebony Hillbillies are a true phenomenon, reviving the lost art form and American legacy of string band music for a whole new generation.

Continuing to bring a fresh urgency to the genre for a 21st Century world in need of some deep musical education, the dynamic ensemble – led by Henrique Prince (fiddle, vocals) with Norris Bennett (banjo, mountain dulcimer, guitar, vocals), Gloria Thomas Gassaway (on vocals and bones), acoustic bassist William "Salty Bill" Salter (3x-Grammy winning co-writer of legendary pop hits like "Where is the Love" and "Just The Two of Us"), Allanah Salter (shaker, vocals), Newman Taylor Baker/Ricky "Dirty Red" Gordon (washboard percussion) and A.R. on "cowboy" percussion kit - are releasing their latest full length album, 5 MILES FROM TOWN [EH MUSIC].

Infused with the Hillbillies' trademark mix of pop, country, bluegrass, folk and jazz, the full length collection reflects a soulful, gritty and alternately funky, romantic and socially conscious place where toes are always tapping, percussion is slapping, fiddles are jamming, front porch chairs are rocking, banjos are plucking and voices are raised in determination and triumph.

Mixing lively instrumentals and vocals over the course of 11 tracks and 3 alternately playful and hard-hitting snippets/skits, the group performs everything from a down home fiddle jam ("Hog"), the gentle romantic cautionary tale "Fork in the Road" and an intimate cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" to the incisive social commentaries "Another Man Done Gone (Hands Up Don't Shoot)" (about black men and police shootings) and "I'm on My Way To Brooklyn, " which rolls as a lighthearted NYC inspired spiritual until the end...and three gunshots.

The Ebony Hillbillies started out on the streets of Manhattan, but their vibe and influence has extended over the years to acclaimed live performances at legendary venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; appearances on the BBC, Good Morning America, NBC, CBS, etc., international music workshops and festivals, visual artist collaborations at museums (including The Whitney with phenom Kara Walker and The Smithsonian Museum), Guest school programs, Foot stomping and Hand-clapping Dance parties and more. In the digital era, they have sold thousands of hard copies of their four CDs – Sabrina's Holiday, I Thought You Knew, Barefoot and Flying and 2015's Slappin' A Rabbit – Live! – at their shows and via their globally popular website, https://www.theebonyhillbillies.com/home

THE EBONY HILLBILLIES – "5 MILES FROM TOWN"
(EH MUSIC)
Street Date: 01/04/2019
HENRIQUE PRINCE - VIOLIN AND VOCALS, NORRIS WASHINGTON BENNETT - BANJO, MOUNTAIN DULCIMER, GUITAR, AND VOCALS, GLORIA THOMAS GASSAWAY - BONES (PERCUSSION) & VOCALS, WILLIAM (SALTY BILL) SALTER - ACOUSTIC BASS, ALLANAH SALTER - SHAKER (PERCUSSION) & VOCALS, NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER - WASHBOARD PERCUSSION, A.R. (ALI RAHMAN) - (COWBOY) PERCUSSION
UPC Code: 888295643214

*ALL SONGS BELOW ARE TRADITIONAL/arr. by THE EH EXCEPT WHERE NOTED...
01. HOG EYED MAN 2:36
02. WANG DANG DOODLE [W. DIXON] 3:32
03. DARLING COREY 2:41
04. I CAN'T MAKE YOU LOVE ME [M.REID/A.SHAMBLIN]/ ZYX (HARRY THOMAS' REVENGE INTERLUDE) 4:41
05. CARROLL COUNTY BLUES 3:38
06. CREAM [Prince] / I'M ON MY WAY TO BROOKLYN (YES INDEED INTERLUDE) 4:35
07. ANOTHER MAN DONE GONE/HANDS UP DON'T SHOOT 3:36
08. I'D RATHER BE A **** THAN A PO' WHITE MAN 2:28
09. FORK IN THE ROAD [W. "SMOKEY" ROBINSON] 4:33
10. OH WHAT A TIME 1:21
11. WHERE HE LEADS ME (I WILL FOLLOW) 3:11
12. FIVE MILES FROM TOWN studio version 4:35

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