The Marlborough Arts Center is holding another in its summer music series, this time on Saturday, August 15, 2020. It will be held at the Arts Center at 231 North Main Street, Marlborough at 2:00 p.m. on the front lawn. The rain date will be Sunday, August 16, 2020 at 2:00p.m. The group performing is Deep Ellum who have been to the Marlborough Arts Center numerous times before.
The Deep Ellum acoustic duo is named for the historic and notorious red-light, musical entertainment, and recording district in Dallas that was immortalized in Blind Lemon Jefferson’s classic “Deep Ellum Blues,” the theme song that they perform with a little different twist.
Both performers are seasoned acoustic musicians. Rich Johnson is a talented guitarist who plays 6- and 12-string as well as Dobro (resophonic guitar), and he sings harmony vocals. Rich is familiar to Connecticut listeners as a fine electric guitar and lap steel player with the roots country band Lost Highway, and he currently plays Dobro with Horizon Blue.
Jon Swift was a founding member of the popular acoustic bluegrass band Traver Hollow, playing upright bass and singing lead and harmony vocals for live audiences in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, as well as radio and TV shows, and his singing and guitar playing have been enjoyed in many Connecticut acoustic venues for years. Jon also played electric bass and sang with Lost Highway in the ‘90s, and he currently plays upright bass and sings with the duo BluesGrass and the Lost Acres String Band trio.
Deep Ellum plays an “Americana” mix of blues, old jazz, folk music, bluegrass, and oldies. They evoke the sounds of Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Bill Monroe, Tom Paxton, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Doc Watson, the Delmore Brothers, and country blues legends such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, and Blind Willie McTell. They throw in a few old jazz numbers, and also do favorites from the ‘50s and ‘60s by Donovan, Buddy Holly, The Kingston Trio, and others, as well as more contemporary hits by artists such as Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale, and Ry Cooder, but always put their own distinctive stamp on each song. Deep Ellum has performed at a number of venues in central Connecticut that feature acoustic music, and have always been well received. Their act has a friendly feel to it, in addition to good music, and can please a variety of audiences.
People coming to the concert should bring chairs or blankets to sit on. Refreshments can also be brought if desired. Social distancing will be followed and masks will be required.