The music of the Java Brothers and the Whitetop Mountain Band will be featured during New River Community College’s Fiddle, Banjo and Dance Club Jamboree on Saturday, April 13. Music will begin at 6 p.m. in 117 Edwards Hall at NRCC in Dublin.
The Java Brothers bluegrass band members met during a Monday Night Radford Fiddle and Banjo jam. Their musical influences include Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Old and In the Way, The Seldom Scene, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, JD Crowe and Doyle Lawson. The Java Brothers mix standard bluegrass and newgrass with fiery original tunes in their live shows. The band includes Joe Abercrombie on banjo, Bill Adams on dobro, Ralph Berrier on fiddle, Chris Burgoyne on mandolin, Doug Capobianco on string bass, and Wayne Frye on guitar.
The Whitetop Mountain band is a family group from Whitetop, Va., that originated in the 1940s and specializes in old-time fiddling and banjo picking. Their performances are also noted for their versatility, often containing blues, classic country, honky tonk pieces and traditional bluegrass. The band has performed at square dances, festivals and competitions throughout the United States and has performed internationally in the United Kingdom and Australia. They have been featured in many books, magazines and TV/radio shows about Appalachian music such as “The Guide to the Crooked Road,” “Strings of Life,” Country Music Television, Travel Channel, PBS and more. The band’s current members are Emily Spencer on banjo, guitar and vocals; Martha Spencer on guitar, banjo, fiddle and vocals; Ersel Fletcher on guitar and vocals; Kilby Spencer on fiddle; and Debbie Bramer on bass and vocals.
Corporate sponsors of the jamborees include Anderson Audiology, Dublin; August Jewelers & Boutique, Inc., Radford; Duncan Ford – Lincoln – Mazda, Blacksburg; Estes Auto & Truck Parts Inc., Pilot; First Community Bank, Pulaski; Gregory Seeding and Landscaping Company, Pulaski; King’s Tire Service, Pulaski; Martin’s Pharmacy, Pulaski; Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., Dublin; Pulaski Patriot, Pulaski; Shoney’s Restaurant, Dublin; and Southern Furniture Warehouse, Radford.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for the show. Admission is free; however, donations will be accepted to help offset the travel expenses for the musicians. The jamborees are held the second Saturday of each month through April at NRCC, a Crooked Road affiliated venue.
More information about the NRCC Fiddle, Banjo and Dance Club is available from Tim Jones at (540) 674-3625, and online at www.nr.edu/fiddle.
