Arts & Culture

'Appalachia in the Bluegrass' Presents Concerts with Wells Family, Rich Kirby and Nate Polly

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2015) — The next two performances in the "Appalachia in the Bluegrass" concert series are filled with artists who are keeping the tradition in traditional music alive. On Friday, Nov. 6, Jesse and Carrie Jean Wells and Matt Carter of the Wells Family will perform. The following Friday, Nov. 13, Rich Kirby and the Nate Polly will perform. Both free public concerts will take place at noon at the Niles Gallery, located in the University of Kentucky Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center

A Family Affair

Musicianship runs in the family with the Wells clan. Jesse, Carrie Jean and Matt Carter are skilled and experienced Appalachian music makers.

Jesse is an instructor and archivist at the Morehead State University’s Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. He performs regularly with the Clack Mountain String Band and Kentucky Wild Horse. He has been invited to teach workshops at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Appalshop and the Old Town School of Folk's Music's Old-Time Festival.

Jesse Wells performs as part of the "Made to be Played" exhibit presented by the Kentucky Historical Society in 2009. 

Carrie Jean, who studied architecture at UK, is known for her work with several revitalization projects in downtown Whitesburg, Kentucky. She is passionate about art, music and Eastern Kentucky. She plays the fiddle and guitar, primarily with fiddler Sylvia Ryerson in a duo known as the SkipDippers.

Interview and performances of Carrie Jean Wells from Natalie Baxter on Vimeo. A transcript of this video can be found here

Matt Carter, Carrie Jean's husband, is a musician and serves as the program director of Appalshop's radio station WMMT, as well as coordinator for the passing the pick and bow program.

Rich and Nate, Minus the Po' Folks  

Rich Kirby and Nate Polly are good friends who have a strong love for traditional music of east Kentucky and southwest Virginia in common.

Rich Kirby performs "Rocky Island" at  2013 Portland Oldtime Music Gathering. A transcript of this video can be found here

Kirby and Polly started playing together in a group called Rich and the Po' Folks in 2006. The band comprises friends who were influenced by Appalachian musicians like Art Stamper, Ed Haley, Charlie Osborne, George Gibson, Addie Graham and John Morgan Salyer. Kirby and Polly are multi-instrumentalists, playing fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass. Polly, a former railroad worker from Letcher County, Kentucky, is a talented singer and songwriter as well.

Nate Polly performs at the 2012 Morehead Old Time Festival. A transcript of this video can be found here

The Appalachia in the Bluegrass concert series celebrates the old time roots of American folk music by featuring a diverse range of traditional musical expression. The concert series will showcase 12 different artists, duos and groups from southern Appalachia ranging from artists straight off their front porch to those who have earned international acclaim.

The John Jacob Niles Center for American Music, host of the concert series, is a collaborative research and performance center maintained by the UK College of Fine Arts, UK School of Music and UK Libraries.

For more information on the Appalachia in the Bluegrass concert series or the concerts featuring the Wells Family or Rich Kirby and Nate Polly, contact Ron Pen, director of the Niles Center, by email to Ron.Pen@uky.edu or visit the website http://finearts.uky.edu/music/niles

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu