White Horse Black Mountain is a unique performance and event center in the heart of downtown Black Mountain NC focusing on Music, Aet, Spirit & Community. We feature a variety of events of all types including music, storytelling, puppetry, poetry, theatre, films, community events, benefit events, workshops, and much more. We are: A place where a variety of music and performing arts are presented in a relaxed setting; A true listening room where the focus is on celebrating the connection between artist and audience; A place where the power of music to transform the mind and uplift the soul is fully manifested; A place where all are welcome and where good people, good music, and good times abound.
Saturday, May 20, 2023 – Zoe & Cloyd, 8:00 PM – Klezgrass practitioners Zoe & Cloyd will present a special performance of songs from their upcoming new album, Songs of Our Grandfathers, live at White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday, May 20. Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller will be joined by Kevin Kehrberg on upright bass and Bennett Sullivan on banjo and guitar. Doors open at 7 PM with the performance beginning at 8 PM.
Zoe & Cloyd’s music highlights their emotive songwriting and signature harmonies, with four albums to date that showcase the breadth of their collective musical spirit, seamlessly combining original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk with sincerity and zeal. Now, Asheville-based Zoe & Cloyd are releasing an album inspired by their grandfathers’ musical histories in bluegrass and klezmer music, entitled Songs of Our Grandfathers.
For Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller of Organic Records’ semi-eponymous Zoe & Cloyd, tradition is less a choice in musical styles than it is a family legacy — or, to be more precise, a pair of legacies: Miller is the grandson of original bluegrass fiddler Jim Shumate, while Weinstein’s grandfather, David, was a klezmer musician who made his living on flute, clarinet and saxophone. The duo have woven these musical strands together before, but now they’re taking the fusion to a new level in an entire project.
“Songs of Our Grandfathers is inspired by the 1995 album by David Grisman and Andy Statman entitled Songs of Our Fathers, a beautiful project composed of Jewish and klezmer music,” they offer. “We conceived our album in a similar vein, albeit with klezmer and bluegrass, as an homage to our grandfathers and their unique musical stories.”
“Both Jim and David have had a profound influence on our musical development individually and as Zoe & Cloyd. Interestingly, bluegrass and klezmer are actually more similar than they may first appear. Both styles of music were born in working class communities, incorporating regional and popular influences of the time; bluegrass absorbed elements of jazz and blues into its old-time stringband framework, while klezmer music, with its genesis in the Jewish community of Eastern Europe, often included tunes from a wide variety of countries and ethnic groups. Both styles are melting pots and it is fitting and natural for us to combine them in our music.”
Song of Our Grandfathers will be released by Organic Records on May 19th, 2023. Ahead of the release, two singles are available now.
Friday, June 2, 2023 – John McEuen and The Circle Band, 8:00 PM – John McEuen, born in Oakland, CA in 1945, moved to southern California’s Orange County with his family for high school years, where he thought his teenage dream job in Disneyland’s Magic Shop (at 16 years old) was “as good as it gets”. He and lifelong high-school friend both got that 1963 job (magic shop co-worker, Steve Martin) were 17 when music came along. After seeing Missouri bluegrass group The Dillards in an Orange County club, John’s life headed towards his new dream: make magic with music and be a traveling music man. Leaving his Garden Grove spawning ground, moving to Hollywood, dream became a reality more than imagined it could be!
In 1971 John initiated the landmark Will the Circle be Unbroken* album by asking musical mentors Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson to record; then with his brother Bill (band manager, record producer) it grew to inviting Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, Roy Acuff, ‘Bashful’ Brother Oswald, Vassar Clements, and Merle Travis to a
Nashville studio, hooking them up with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, for 5 magic hot August days of recording.
The now multi-platinum “Circle” is honored both by Library of Congress and the Grammy Hall of Fame. * “One of the most important records to come out of Nashville…” Chet Flippo, Rolling Stone
Multi-instrumentalist McEuen (banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, piano, dulcimer) recognized as a founding member and award-winning outstanding performer of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (50 years!), departed NGDB at the end of the 50th year anniversary tour Oct. 22, 2017 due to demands for his solo work. In addition to John’s
numerous solo accolades, NGDB was inducted in to Colorado Music Hall of Fame 2015. He covers it all in his highly praised book The Life I’ve Picked on Chicago Review Press, published April, 2018.
McEuen has made over 46 albums (7 solo) that have earned five platinum and six gold records, multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, CMA and ACM awards, an Emmy film score nomination, IBMA record of the year award, and performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. John’s production of Steve Martin – The Crow won the
2010 Best Bluegrass Album Grammy.
The Music of the Wild West CD- produced by McEuen, was honored with the Western Heritage Award. Other accolades include: Grammy nomination for String Wizards II; the Uncle Dave Macon Award (for excellence in preservation and performance of historic music); 2009 he was inducted in to the Traditional Country Music Hall
of Honor. As a producer/composer of film scores, John has produced award-winning projects of his own and for several other artists.
John has continually performed since 1963 – over 10,000 concerts, 300 television shows, 11,000 interviews and flown more than 4 million miles. In 2010 he was honored with the Best in the West Award solo performer from the Folk Alliance Organization.
