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Roy Book Binder

Roy Book Binder at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center

| Arlene Sweeting |

On Saturday, March 6 at 8 pm Roy Book Binder will perform a live show at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. A limited number of in-person tickets are available.  Tickets are $22 for members and $26 for the general public.  Advance tickets are available on the website.

Roy Book Binder is the epitome of the singing, songwriting, storytelling Bluesman troubadour. Book Binder became a student and friend of the legendary Reverend Gary Davis in the early sixties, and subsequently toured with him in the late 1960s. It was from these early days he became equally at home with Blues and ragtime.

In his 70’s, Book Binder is known to shift from open tunings to slide arrangements set to his original and sometimes quirky tongue-in-cheek compositions, with both traditional and self-styled licks, drawing on many musical influences. He combines his Blues with Hokum, Dixie Jazz licks, and Old Timey acoustic Hill Country music with ease. More than anything, however, his storytelling style is what he is most renowned for. The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia said, “the stories are as good as the songs”. Binder is a master of the Piedmont style as well as Delta blues.

Fogartyville will be operating under strict Covid protocols and there will only be a limited number of in-person seats available – mostly outdoors.   Ticket buyers will have the option of purchasing 2 or 4 tickets and will have to provide the names of all persons in their party.  There will be a temperature check at the door and those not abiding by the venue’s safety measures will be asked to leave.  More information is available on the Fogartyville website.

From Roy Book Binder Website:  Roy Book Binder has been rambling around the world for the past 45 years!   He gave up his Greenwich Village “pad”  in the early 1970s and lived in his “Tour Bus” for the next 15 years crisscrossing the US and appearing at festivals throughout Canada & Europe.

Book Binder travelled with the legendary Rev. Gary Davis in the late 60’s….. The Book recorded his first solo acoustic Blues album in the 70’s, which was the first to receive  5 stars in DOWNBEAT magazine!  In the  late 80’s ‘The Book’ was part of Bonnie Raitt’s  East Coast Tour, which included an appearance on The Grand Old Opry which led to almost 30 appearances on NASHVILLE NOW’s, Ralph Emory Show!   In the 90’s he often appeared  with JORMA KAUKONEN (who recorded 2 of Roy’s songs)

THE GOOD BOOK, Roy’s latest release of all original songs, reached #3 on AirPlayDirect’s Americana charts!  #1 was Guy Clark & #2 was the late Townes Van Zandt.  Folk DJ had Roy in the top 3 artists for July.

Roy has the goods: the original, the bare-knuckle, the low-down . . . blues. Who can say they were friends with the Rev. Gary Davis, Pink Anderson, and Robert Lockwood? And toured with Arthur Big Boy Crudup, Hot Tuna, JJ Cale & Bonnie Raitt ?  Roy can. He has the stories, the licks, and the mystery of timeless music in his fingers. He’s been featured on a PBS special and interviewed by Terry Gross on “Fresh Air.”  He’s also a regular at Fur Peace Ranch, where he teaches along with Jorma Kaukonen. When he brings his  ‘Tour Bus’  to town, a one-man blues-fest ensues. He plays and he entertains, feeding us music and stories, and the evening is a celebration for us all. We’re privileged to have Roy here to preserve–and extend—the tradition of great American blues music. (JAMES HIPP)

Photos from Roy Bookbinder website

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