Musical Vanguards Series & KGNU Presents: Seth Walker

TICKETS

Seth Walker is often cited as one of the most prolific contemporary Americana artists on the scene today. He’s a multi-dimensional talent who combines a gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. His new studio album, I Hope I Know, produced by Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers, and a string of singles, including “We Got This,” “Spirits Moving” and a cover of Van Morrison’s classic “Warm Love” further build upon this reputation.

Growing up on a commune in rural North Carolina, the son of classically trained musicians, Seth Walker played cello long before discovering the guitar in his 20s. When his introduction to the blues came via his Uncle Landon Walker, who was both a musician and disc jockey, his fate was forever sealed. Instantaneously, Seth was looking to artists like T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin, and B.B. King as a wellspring of endless inspiration. The rest is history. He’s released ten albums, broken into the Top 20 of the Americana Radio Charts, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, and received praise from NPR, American Songwriter, No Depression, and Relix, among others.

Seth Walker is currently based in Asheville, NC after previously residing in Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville. He’s used those experiences wisely, soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical lineage of these varied places. With a bluesman’s respect for roots and tradition, coupled with an appreciation for—and successful melding of—contemporary songwriting, Seth sublimely incorporates a range of styles with warmth and grace. Perhaps Country Standard Time said it best: “If you subscribe to the Big Tent theory of Americana, then Seth Walker –with his blend of blues, gospel, pop, R&B, rock, and a dash country—just might be your poster boy.”

Bluegrass band Jake Leg will kick off the evening!

Jake Leg is a 4-piece, new acoustic group from the Front Range of Colorado. The band consists of award-winning musicians Eric Wiggs (vocals/guitar), Dylan McCarthy (mandolin/vocals), Justin Hoffenberg (fiddle) and Troy Robey (bass). Forged in their favorite elements of the bluegrass genre, Jake Leg focuses on delivering compelling, original music. Expressive musicianship and soulful vocals create the framework for the vivid storytelling in each song to come to life. A Jake Leg live show centers on exciting improvisation, and features a spectrum of textures and grooves that engages the audience from the first note to the last.

Since forming in 2021, Jake Leg has been quickly recognized as one of the leading contemporary bluegrass bands out of the Colorado area. 2022 saw them moving into bigger regional festivals, including an invitation from Planet Bluegrass to perform in the Wildflower Pavilion at Rockygrass. With steadily growing momentum and plans to release their debut full-length album next year, Jake Leg is poised to make their mark on the bluegrass genre with their unique voice.