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CONTACT: Lindsey Jasinski or Whitney Hale, (859) 257-1754

FOR RELEASE

Banjo Player Randy Wilson Opens Appalachian Concert Series

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 6, 2007) − The University of Kentucky John Jacob Niles Center for American Music opens this year's “Appalachia in the Bluegrass” concert series with banjo player Randy Wilson. Known for extraordinary Appalachian banjo performances, Wilson will perform at noon Friday, Sept. 7, in the Niles Gallery, located in the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library. The concert is free and open to the public.

Wilson’s Appalachian banjo performance marries the excitement of musical virtuosity with an informed perspective of cultural context. The musician is known for his ability to play banjo music from various eras and cultures in the instrument's history, tracing its sound from the African grasslands to Southern plantations to the mountains of eastern Kentucky in a way that makes history sparkle with vitality.

Jean Ritchie, a legendary folk singer and dulcimer player who received the National Heritage Award, referred to Wilson as the, “mountain Pied Piper for kids 1 to 99.” He has performed extensively in music and storytelling festivals, including the Great American Dulcimer Festival, the Kentucky Folklife Festival, as well as the Smithsonian Appalachian Festival in Washington, D.C. He also has a following as an artist-in-residence in various schools for approximately 20 years where his collaborations with students have included books, recordings, videos, herbal remedies, folk dances and old mountain recipes. To hear Wilson discuss his banjo and Appalachian music and play visit a clip online from the artist on YouTube.

“Appalachia in the Bluegrass” explores traditional music in the Appalachian region. The concert series is diverse in musical expression with performances by Appalachian traditional musicians and scholars. All concerts take place at noon on Fridays, in the Niles Center Gallery, located in the Fine Arts Library on the UK campus.

For more information on the Randy Wilson concert or the “Appalachia in the Bluegrass” concert series, contact Ron Pen by phone at (859) 257-8183 or by e-mail at Ron.Pen@uky.edu.

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