Photo credit: Doug Moxness.

Little Black Train to perform in Los Osos

–Celebrate New Year’s Eve as Little Black Train and Friends perform a fun, refreshing fusion of vintage fiddle tunes, blazing mandolin, and songs of old-time Americana on Saturday, Dec. 31 at the Red Barn in Los Osos, located at 2180 Palisades Ave. There will be voluntary donations taken at the door. The event is a fundraiser for the Red Barn Community Music Series.

Kenny Blackwell (mandolin and guitar), John Weed (fiddle), and Stuart Mason (guitar, banjo, and mandola) are the bluegrass-roots trio Little Black Train. From Depression-era gospel and blues to Appalachian and Celtic dance tunes, they dig up the roots of bluegrass that traveled to America from Ireland and Scotland in the 19th century. Avid practitioners of the time-honored folk process, they combine new words and melodies with traditional songs from sources such as the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, and Charlie Poole. On the instrumental side, they mine fiddle tunes from archival sources in West Virginia, Ireland, and Scotland. The all-acoustic trio of veteran pickers will be joined on stage by other local pickers.

For more information about the event, call (805) 215-0306.

Mason talks about their approach to the music:

“We give equal weight to traditional melody playing and the old songs, as well as fiery improvisation on mandolin and fiddle. Before the boom of commercial radio in the 20s and 30s, you would have heard more evidence of the old country in the sound of the fiddle, that’s where John’s style comes into play. He invokes the timeless spirit of Donegal and Clare in the tunes he brings to us. Kenny has a long history of jazz, swing, blues and bluegrass on the mandolin, and you can hear it all when he plays with the Train.

“As for my songs–I was born in West Virginia. My father’s family lived there since long before it split off from Virginia. My grandpa worked the C&O Railroad, and his father was a circuit-riding preacher, so I’ve got fire and brimstone and coal dust under my skin. Gospel was always a big part of local music up in the hills, but the coal boom was what brought in the sound of the Piedmont and the Delta. Black folk flooded in to work the mines, and that’s when mountain music met the blues. Singers like Dick Justice and Dock Boggs and Charlie Poole recorded music that had all those ingredients mixed up together. We travel those rails with Little Black Train.”

About the Red Barn Community Music Series

The Red Barn Community Music Series is a monthly concert series showcasing local, regional and national musicians performing old time, bluegrass, swing, Celtic, blues, and other forms of acoustic roots music. Admission to this fundraising event is by your generous donation at the door. Proceeds from the show will help defray expenses of producing these shows throughout the year.

The Red Barn is located in the Los Osos Community Park at 2180 Palisades Ave., Los Osos. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., the potluck supper and potluck band start at 5 p.m., the show begins at 6 p.m. BYOB, a dish to share and your own utensils for the potluck supper.

Photo Credit: Doug Moxness