Piano Man of the Blue Ridge Returns Jeff Little & Friends Concert at Baptist Church in Boone Saturday Jeff Little Wayne Henderson Steve Lewis Piano innovator, Jeff Little; 2004 National Banjo Champion and Merlefest guitar champion, Steve Lewis; and National Folklife Award winner, Wayne Henderson, will light up the Mountainhome Music stage this Saturday night, June 11. “Jeff Little is one of the few piano players who play old-time fiddle tunes on the piano,” said Joe Shannon, Mountainhome Music host. “He uniquely combines musicality, speed, precision. Jeff deeply feels his music and so do his audiences.” Little grew up in Boone, where his father own a music shop; he worked the studio circuit in Nashville for many years, toured around the world, and now is a piano professor of music in Greensboro. In addition to his old-time fiddle tunes, according to Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, “Jeff Little is conversant with traditional jazz, rockabilly, and blues...With few exceptions such as Moon Mulligan, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Floyd Kramer, the piano has not been a lead instrument in country, especially old-time country. Jeff Little may just change that.” Steve Lewis, a Mountainhome Music regular for the past eleven years, is comfortable playing guitar, banjo, or conversing with an audience. His easy-going, relaxed manner makes the audience feel more like they’re in someone’s living room rather than a concert hall. But when he starts to play, the mood changes. According to Joe Shannon, “whether playing guitar or banjo, Steve’s music is hard diving and silky smooth, and it sets feet to tapping, heads to nodding, and smiles of amazement to crease the listener’s faces. They always want to hear more.” Wayne Henderson was presented the National Folklife Award at the White House during the Clinton administration. Two years ago ABC’s Nightline did a special on the music of the Appalachian region. Wayne Henderson’s music—and the instruments he makes were featured. Yet Henderson is not impressed by the notoriety. As he has often said, he’d just as soon play at his local volunteer fire department as at Carnegie Hall (where he has played). Like Lewis, Henderson’s low-key humor makes an audience feel like their lifelong friends rather than faces in a crowd. The music Saturday night will be a blend of fiddle tunes, bluegrass, jazz, and swing. Jeff Little’s father, Gerald, will make a special guest appearance and play a few pieces on the Dixieland banjo. All Mountainhome Music concerts also feature the music and stories of Joe Shannon and audience sing-alongs. The concert will be at the First Baptist Church in downtown Boone. Starting time is 8:00. Tickets are $12.50 in advance and $15.00 at the door. Tickets for children are $5:00, and a new family ticket is available for $30.00. This is for two adults and up to four children. Tickets may be purchased online at www.mountainhomemusic.com or at the Mast Store (Boone and Valle Crucis), Rydell Music Center (Boone Mall), Fred’s on Beech Mountain, Pandora’s Mailbox in Blowing Rock, and at Blue Moon Music in West Jefferson. The purpose of Mountainhome Music is the honor the musicians, dancers and storytellers of the Appalachian region. Mountainhome Music is affiliated with the ASU Center for Appalachian Studies and the Blue Ridge Music Trails project, an outreach program of the North Carolina Arts Council. For more information call 828-264-8118 or go to www.mountainhomemusic.com.