Eric Bibb
He’s received nominations for a Grammy and four W.C. Handy Blues awards, but Eric Bibb is a singer, songwriter and guitar player who appeals to anybody who enjoys good music as well as blues fans. He returns to the San Luis Valley with a concert Wed., Jan. 19, 7:30pm, at the Adams State College Theatre near the corner of Edgemont Ave. and Main St. in Alamosa. Tickets are $15 for ALMA members, $17 for the general public. A special musical opportunity is available this night as West African drumming and dance ensemble Bernard Woma and Saakumu plays earlier at 6pm in Leon Memorial Hall at Richardson Ave. and 2nd St., sponsored by the ASC Music Dept., ASC Student Life and Recreation, the Grizzly Activity Board, and the Office of Student Engagement and Success in collaboration with ALMA. Admission for this show is $5, but free with paid admission to the Eric Bibb show. Audience members will be able to walk a few yards between Leon and the ASC theatre to enjoy both amazing shows.
JAN. 4 – THIS JUST IN: Advance tickets for this concert should be available at the Narrow Gauge Newsstand and Adams State College Music Dept. after Jan. 5.
“An enriching experience – both musically and spiritually,” is how a Bibb show has been described. “Purveying a beautifully realized and deftly accomplished, soulful and gospel infused, folk- blues, Eric has no problem melding a traditional rootsy American style with a subtle contemporary sensibility,” is another description of Bibb’s music.
Bibb’s father, Leon Bibb, is a trained singer who sang in musical theatre and made a name for himself as part of the 1960’s New York folk scene. His uncle was the world famous jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Family friends included Pete Seeger, Odetta and actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson, Bibb’s godfather. Bonnie Raitt, Pops Staples, Mavis Staples, Taj Mahal, Odetta, Charlie Musselwhite, Guy Davis, Ruthie Foster, and Mamadou Diabate have all played on Bibb’s albums. He has toured with Robert Cray, John Mayall and Robben Ford, and opened for Ray Charles.
Bernard Woma has shared the performance stage with renowned artists such as Maya Angelou, Yo Yo Ma, and Glen Velez. He has performed for dignitaries such as U. S. President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II. He was recently honored as the cultural resource person for President Barack Obama’s family when they visited Ghana. He is a true cultural treasure from Ghana who has toured the world as xylophonist and lead drummer of the National Dance Company of Ghana. Woma is the Artistic Director of Saakumu Dance Troupe. Saakumu is one of the leading traditional/contemporary dance and music groups in Ghana. The group repertoire includes a range of spiritual, ceremonial and recreational genres to contemporary African dance forms. Their music and dance is joyful, expressive and highly participatory. Woma and Saakumu will also be conducting a dance and drumming workshop from 1:30pm until 3pm Jan. 19.
More information about Bernard Woma and Saakumu’s activites at ASC is available through http://www.jameswdoyle.com.
