NEW PROGRAM: THE SONG SPINNERS

Our New Program of Classic American Roots Music

Multi-award winning New Orleans vocalist Johnette Downing and three-time GRAMMY winner Scott Billington are The Song Spinners, whose compelling new program presents songs first recorded by the pioneering folklorists Olive Dame Campbell, Zora Neale Hurston, John Lomax, and Alan Lomax.

Some of these songs, such as Vera Ward Hall’s “Trouble So Hard” and Lead Belly’s “Goodnight, Irene” became hit records for other artists, while “Jesus on the Mainline” is now regarded as a gospel standard. With origins that pre-date the era of modern recording, these songs provided the foundation for what we now call Americana music. Performed by The Song Spinners in their original versions, their clarity and stark beauty are both moving and entertaining.

Along with musical performances, each song is prefaced by a short history. For instance, Vera Ward Hall recorded her a cappella performances of “Another Man Done Gone” and “Trouble So Hard” in Alan Lomax’s New York City apartment in 1948. It was the only time she left her home state of Alabama. And, did you know that the children’s game song, “Little Sally Walker,” was part of the musical inspiration for the soul standard “Mustang Sally.”

The Song Spinners, who made their debut at Italy’s 2022 Porretta Soul Festival, bring together traditions that range from Appalachian balladry; to the joyous sounds of gospel music; to Woody Guthrie’s refashioning of folk tradition as protest music; to a minor key blues created by an inmate known only as Jimpson. Audiences are encouraged to sing along as they explore music that reaches to the very firmament of human musical expression.