Traditional Music Week, banjoist Jayme Stone to celebrate centennial of Alan Lomax with Lomax Project
March 4, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As part of Traditional Music Week, banjoist Jayme Stone will participate in a two-day residency celebrating the legacy of Alan Lomax, which will conclude with a performance March 28 at Lafayette Theater. This 8 p.m. performance is presented by Purdue Convocations.
Stone's residency will begin March 27 with a public discussion of the life of Lomax, a musicologist. Lomax's six decades of work will be the inspiration for the March 27 "Collaboratory" (equal parts collaborative and explorative laboratory). This will culminate in a performance March 28 that features music sourced from Lomax's archival work. For a complete schedule, please visit convocations.org.
Beginning in 1934, with cumbersome recording equipment loaded in the back of his car, the young Lomax (1915-2002) traveled across the United States to source and record the roots and branches of American folk music for the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress. He captured a diverse musical portrait of life across America and the Caribbean. He was able to track down notable, yet unknown, talents, including Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Jelly Roll Morton, Sonny Boy Williamson and Pete Seeger.
Lomax's career spanned more than six decades, over 17,000 recordings and interviews, scores of concerts and TV and radio shows, and nearly two dozen books.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $19 for those 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Stewart Center box office at 765-494-3933, 800-914-SHOW or online through www.convocations.org/tickets
Traditional Music Week
Traditional Music Week is a weeklong celebration of traditional roots and acoustic music that will begin on March 27 with Fieldwork: Jayme Stone with The Lomax Project Residency. On April 4, the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering will present a workshop, concert and contra dance with the dance band STEAM.
Other Traditional Music Week activities include:
* March 27. 7 p.m. Tippecanoe Arts Federation Grand Hall, 638 North St., Lafayette. Public talk with Jayme Stone. Free and open to the public.
* March 27. 8:15 p.m. Tippecanoe Arts Federation Grand Hall. Community Musician Workshop with Jayme Stone. Free and open to the public.
* March 28. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Carnahan Hall, 820 Main St., Lafayette. Community Field Recording Open House with Jayme Stone. Free and open to the public.
* March 28. 8 p.m. Lafayette Theater, 600 Main St., Lafayette. Performance by Jayme Stone and the Lomax Project. Tickets required.
* April 4. 12 p.m. Tippecanoe Arts Federation Grand Hall. Steam contra dance band workshop. Free and open to the public.
* April 4. 6 p.m. Thomas Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St., Lafayette. Steam performance. Tickets required.
* April 4. 7 p.m. Duncan Hall. Tamara Lowenthal will join Steam to call the contra dance. Tickets required.
Sources: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, 765-494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu
Scott Freeman, Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering: scottfreeman12@gmail.com
Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photographs are available at https://www.purdue.edu/convocations/press/
