The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes in concert on Thursday, August 11 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Heartwood in Abingdon. This concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series at Heartwood.
As a duo, Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes pick and sing traditional Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo hoedowns, close mountain harmonies, Carter Family-inspired autoharp and guitar, country gospel songs, and lonesome ballads. Their performances also include stories of all kinds and flatfoot dancing.
Born and raised in Wytheville, Sam Gleaves performs innovative mountain music with a sense of history. He carries on the ballads and dance music he learned from numerous mentors in the Appalachian tradition, including Southwest Virginia barber and multi-instrumentalist Jim Lloyd and Western North Carolina ballad singer and storyteller Sheila Kay Adams.
Through his songwriting, Gleaves tells contemporary stories from Appalachia. His debut record of original songs, titled “Ain’t We Brothers,” has been featured on National Public Radio, No Depression, Sing Out! and The Bluegrass Situation.
Tyler Hughes is a musician, storyteller, square dance caller, and educator from the Central Appalachians. Based in Big Stone Gap, Hughes is no stranger to the traditional music that thrives in the southern highlands. Since age 12, he has been performing close to home and across the east coast.
Hughes graduated from East Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in bluegrass, old time, and country music studies. He performs not only as a solo artist, but also with the Empty Bottle String Band. He has appeared on PBS’ “Song of the Mountains,” NPR’s “Mountain Stage,” at Jazz at the Lincoln Center, and at the historic Carter Family Fold in Hiltons.
The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at Heartwood. The series features youth artists each second Thursday and showcases venues of The Crooked Road region each fourth Thursday. These events, along with open jams on the first, third, (and fifth) Thursdays showcase Southwest Virginia performers.
The Crooked Road Music Series is sponsored by Heartwood, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon and features food, music, and craft of Southwest Virginia. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP).
More information can be found at The Crooked Road website, www.thecrookedroad.org, and at www.heartwoodvirginia.org. For additional information, please call (276) 492-2409 or email: info@thecrookedroad.org.
