The 2017 edition of the Suwannee Roots Revival hit the ground running with over a dozen bands, but it was a husband and wife duo that the stole the show. Banjo virtuosos and helplessly in love couple Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn previewed songs from their upcoming release Echo In The Valley, as well as songs from throughout their respect careers, on opening night of the Live Oak, FL festival. With Béla flowing from instrumentals to backing up Abigail’s incredible voice, the songs tumbled after each other with only the snappy patter between the two lovebirds to give fans a chance to catch their breath.
It’s safe to say that Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn are the ONLY banjo duo in the world capable of headlining a day of a music festival. Between her haunting voice and his seemingly unending range (Fleck has been nominated for Grammy’s in more categories than anyone in all of music), they have more than enough diversity to keep listeners guessing. The pair shared a lovely story about the influence their young son has had in their lives and the fun he had playing in the world famous Suwannee River earlier in the day. Becoming parents is at the heart of their forthcoming album and was at the core of one of the new tunes they shared, “If I Could Talk To A Younger Me,” which you can watch below.
“If I Could Talk To A Younger Me”
The husband and wife banjo team also took a few minutes of their set at the Suwannee Roots Revival to thank the exclusive online dating site BanjoMingle.com for pairing them. They hilariously walked the audience through the ins and out of the site, the lingo of love used by banjo players and they even perform an impromptu version of the company jingle! Check out the silliness below:
“BanjoMingle.com Testimonial & Jingle”
When Fleck felt the urge to revisit his nineties Flecktones roots, he managed to breathe fresh life into his classic “New South Africa” thanks to his bride’s counter point playing. As always, watching a master work their magic is spellbinding and the rendition they favored the crowd with was practically rapturous. Check out the beauty below:
“New South Africa”
There are still three days of family friendly performances from The Wood Brothers, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Mothers Milk and plenty more to come at the Suwannee Roots Revival. So if you’re looking for some fun this weekend, head on over to the Spirit Of The Suwannee Music Park for an unforgettable weekend of fun in the sun and stars.