Event

Compton & Newberry

Acclaimed traditional music veterans Mike Compton and Joe Newberry dig deep into early country music and blues, and their duet-singing, two-man string band ranges between traditional songs, instrumentals, ballads and original tunes.

Celebrated mandolinist Mike Compton took up the instrument as a teenager and was heavily influenced by father of bluegrass Bill Monroe. Mikes musical CV is long and impressive; he co-founded roots supergroup The Nashville Bluegrass Band and worked with the legendary John Hartford for many years. Mike has had a long association with producer T Bone Burnett and was one of the original Soggy Bottom Boys, performing on the Grammy-winning soundtrack to the Compton & Newberrysmash hit film O Brother, Where Art Thou? He has recorded, toured and taught with numerous acclaimed instrumentalists, including guitarist David Grier, mandolinist David Grisman and fiddle master Bruce Molsky, and worked with stars from Elvis Costello to the late Ralph Stanley.

Talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Joe Newberry is known internationally for his powerful clawhammer banjo work and hes a prizewinning guitarist, fiddler and singer too. Joes IBMA award-winning songs have been recorded by artists including The Gibson Brothers and Ricky Skaggs. Born in Missouri, Joe moved to North Carolina as a young man and quickly became an anchor of the vibrant traditional music scene there. A frequent guest on Garrison Keillors A Prairie Home Companion, he was a guest star on the UKs popular Transatlantic Sessions live tour in 2016, and is a hugely charismatic entertainer who charms audiences wherever he goes.