An evening of unheard lyrics from America’s great folk poet, Woody Guthrie, with music by the most awarded artist in the history of bluegrass. To help bring new life to the work of American folk poet Woody Guthrie, his daughter, Nora Guthrie, gave Del McCoury exclusive access to the archives of her father’s unpublished work. http://www.celebrityseries.org/mccoury/index.htm
Noam Pikelny, hailed by the Chicago Tribune as the “pros’ top banjo picker,” has emerged as the preeminent banjoist of his generation. Noam is a founding member of Punch Brothers, a string ensemble which The Boston Globe calls “a virtuosic revelation” and The New Yorker describes as “wide- ranging and restlessly imaginative.” Singer and songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, who appeared on the Series in 2016’s Use Your Voice with Patty Griffin and Sara Watkins, appears as a special guest.
Banjo wizard Béla Fleck is easily one of Celebrity Series’ most popular returning artists, and as his fans know, each appearance is entirely different from the last. Across all sorts of bands, venues, and genres (not to mention 15 GRAMMY Awards), Fleck’s limitless vision for the banjo has never ceased to amaze. This tour is a momentous one, however, as Fleck will be returning to his roots and leading his first all-bluegrass tour in quite a long time. As always, Fleck is all-in on the task at hand, bringing together a sort of cross-generational banjo festival highlighting the best of the best. On a single stage, audiences will enjoy the boundless talents of Michael Cleveland (10-time International Bluegrass Music Association Fiddle Player of the Year; Sierra Hull (three-time IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year and the award’s first-ever female recipient); Justin Moses (IBMA’s 2018 and 2020 winner of both Resophonic Guitar and Dobro Player of the Year); prolific bassist and many-multi-instrumentalist Mark Schatz; and Bryan Sutton (nine-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year).
NPR Music’s Mountain Stage radio show—produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting—comes to Berklee Performance Center with a star-studded showcase celebrating the talented women of the Americana, folk, and bluegrass traditions. Hosted by Kathy Mattea and featuring Rosanne Cash, with other extraordinary artists to be announced.
When Chris Thile takes the stage with his mandolin, you never quite know what you’re going to hear. Classical, bluegrass, originals, and covers are all fair game, and he plays everything with flair and conviction. He will perform selections from his most recent release, Laysongs; the album is a solitary reflection on faith, doubt, devotion, and community—it's his most personal work to date.
Three masterful genre-benders—Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer—come together once again to blur geographic borders and musical boundaries for an exuberantly virtuosic and exciting evening of music. Bluegrass, classical, global music, jazz, and more come together and recombine in unheard-of ways. Their joy is palpable, and the audience will share the excitement and enthusiasm!