| vol. 2, no. 1 | Fountain Express |
2 January 2006 |
Bluegrass, Blues, Country Shows Kick-off '06 Music in Fountain
A traveling star and a local legend highlight 5 days of live music in downtown Fountain this coming weekend.
Dick Staber, who played mandolin for Del McCoury from 1969-75, kicks off the long weekend on Wednesday night. Then on Saturday night, world-renowned bluesman George Higgs returns to Fountain for a night of Tarboro blues.
Staber is traveling with his wife, Judith Chasnoff, a guitarist and singer, from the Adirondacks in New York to their winter home in Florida, a migration that R.A. Fountain proprietor Alex Albright hopes can annually include Fountain as a stopping off point. "This is an exceptionally fortunate booking for us," said Albright.
Together, Staber and Chasnoff have produced three CDs.
Of their latest, One More Journey, released earlier this year, Bluegrass Unlimited said the couple "have created a musical work of art, abounding with tradition and creativity. Hopefully, there will be many more such musical journeys to follow."
Staber and Chasnoff have toured Europe twice and are veterans on the bluegrass festival scene. Later this month, they will perform at the South Florida Folk Festival. Their Jan. 4 concert at Fountain General Store begins at 7:30; admission is $3.
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A free bluegrass jam on Thursday night begins at 7:30. "The jams have been popular enough for us to go to twice a month," said Albright. Marshall Stephenson, the bluegrass impressario who has been hosting the monthly jams for the past year, will resume his visits in April, Albright said, but in a once-a-month performance instead of leading a jam.
"Marshall was great to get us started off with the jam, and we've gotten a lot of interest from locals like Jack Wrzesinski and Clyde Mattocks in doing it more than once a month."
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On Friday night, the Wilson County country music sensation Russ Varnell returns to Fountain General with his Too Country Band. "Russ is straight ahead classic honky tonk country," said Albright. "And he's got a fine band to back him up."
Varnell has in recent years appeared several times with Buck Owens, and he has been performing of late in Nashville, Tenn. and Austin, Texas, as well as Bakersfield, Calif.
Russ Varnell and the Too Country Band's Jan. 6 performance begins at 8 p.m. Reserved seats are $10; general admission is $8.
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George Higgs' Saturday night show affords locals an opportunity to hear why audiences in France, Australia, and all over the United States think so highly of this native of the Edgecombe County crossroads community of Speed.
Higgs, who lives in Tarboro with his wife Betty, has been playing his own unique style of Piedmont blues for over sixty years. "He's the last of his generation of bluesmen still active in our region," said Albright. "He says playing here is like coming home, and he always puts on a fantastic show."
Higgs' Jan. 7 concert begins at 7:30. Reserved seats are $8; general admission is $5.
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On Sunday, Jan. 8, the Marlboro Boys return for their monthly concert of bluegrass gospel. Based out of Farmville and named for their home church, Marlboro Free Will Baptist, the Marlboros are one of the most popular acts to play Fountain. They specialize in bluegrass renditions of classic hymns, and have released two CDs, which also include original compositions.
The Marlboro Boys' free concert begins at 3:00.
Hear Staber & Chasnoff play "Stagger Lee."
Who is Jack Wrzesinski?
Hear Russ Varnell perform "Whoop de doo."
Photo of George Higgs at R.A. Fountain.
Hear George Higgs sing "I Won't Be Back No More."
Photo: Jason Tyson sings and Bobby Harper plays guitar for the Marlboro Boys at a show in Fountain.
Listen to the Marlboros perform "Give Me Flowers."
R.A. Fountain, General Store and Internet Café, is located in downtown Fountain, at the intersection of US 258 and NC 222. Its family atmosphere does not permit smoking; alcohol is not served.
For further information, phone 252-749-3228 or visit our home page.
What You're Reading:
This is the web version of our weekly news release emailed to about a dozen area newspapers. The primary contents of each issue of the Fountain Express comes from that news release.
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New winter hours
Thursday, 5-10
Friday & Saturday, noon-10
Sunday, 1-5
or by appointment, by calling 252-749-7974.
Live music Thursday - Sunday, and sometimes other days. Friday and Saturday nights are booked through May, with entertainers coming to Fountain from Manitoba, Tennessee, Virginia, New York, and England. For more details, visit our upcoming events page.
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