49th Annual Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music Performances Kick Off with Stephenson Memorial Concert by Jerron Paxton
Multi-instrumental musical wizard Jerron Paxton will present a Stephenson Memorial Concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, as part of the 49th Annual Berea
College Celebration of Traditional Music (CTM).
Paxton will perform “Acoustic Blues,” an eclectic fusion of traditional blues and jazz, at 8 p.m. in Berea College’s Phelps Stokes auditorium to kick off the annual CTM. Paxton's performance is free to attend.
A multi-instrumentalist, Jerron Paxton has an incredible ability to transform traditional jazz, blues, folk and country songs into the here and now, thus making his music “real.” He mesmerizes audiences with his humor and storytelling. His sound is influenced by the likes of Fats Waller and “Blind” Lemon Jefferson.
Other CTM performers include:
- Bruce Molsky, master fiddler/singer
- Ginny Hawker and Kay Justice, Primitive Baptist hymns, ballads and Carter Family songs
- John Harrod and Tona Barkley, traditional Kentucky fiddle tunes and guitar
- The Thomas Cassel Band, virtuoso newgrass band
- The Possum Queens with caller Becky Hill, an all-woman string band based in Lexington
- Sarah Kate Morgan, dulcimer player and singer from the Hindman Settlement School
- Mary and Neal Colmer, dulcimer
Admission is $10 for evening concerts.
In addition to concerts, CTM will include a variety of activities during Saturday’s first-ever Kidzone, featuring a puppet show, dulcimer band, youth dance band and a youth dance. Kidzone events are free.
Other events include a square dance Saturday night ($8 admission), workshops, jams and a raffle.
The Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music seeks to represent homemade music passed on from person to person in the Appalachian Region, as well as the musicians who play it. CTM is primarily supported by the L. Allen Smith Memorial Fund with additional support from the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center and the Berea College Music Department.
All CTM events are open to the public. Evening concerts will be streamed at https://livestream.com/bereacollege.
For a complete list of CTM events, visit https://legacy.berea.edu/appalachian-center/ctm-schedule/.
College policy currently does not require masking for indoor gatherings, however, in line with CDC guidance, audience members at events are urged to wear masks in order to diminish the possibility of contagion.