Martha Redbone is one of the most vital voices in American Roots music. A multi award-winning musician, the charismatic songstress is celebrated for her tasty gumbo of roots music embodying the folk and country sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn. With her gospel singing father’s voice and the spirit of her Cherokee/Choctaw mother’s culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of Americana. Her break-out CD with Martha Redbone Roots Project, The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake, was produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt
Martha Redbone
Intro
Martha Redbone is one of the most vital voices in American Roots music. A multi award-winning musician, the charismatic songstress is celebrated for her tasty gumbo of roots music embodying the folk and country sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn. With her gospel singing father’s voice and the spirit of her Cherokee/Choctaw mother’s culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of Americana. Her break-out CD with Martha Redbone Roots Project, The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake, was produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder/Grammy Winner John McEuen. “A brilliant collision of cultures,” lauded the New Yorker of Martha’s magnificent voice, Blake’s immortal words and a masterful cornucopia of roots music… folk, country, Piedmont blues, gospel, bluegrass, soul, and traditional American Indian.
Redbone and her long term collaborator, pianist Aaron Whitby are called “the little engine that could” by their “band of NYC’s finest blues and jazz musicians” (Larry Blumenthal). From a humble beginning with residencies at the original Living Room on the Lower East side and at Joe’s Pub and nationally at powwows across Indian Country in support of her debut album, Home of the Brave (“Stunning album, the kind of woman who sets trends” Billboard), Redbone has built a passionate fan base with her mesmerizing presence and explosive live shows. Her album Skintalk is described as the soulful sound of “Earth, Wind and Fire on the Rez” (Native Peoples Magazine) and is recognized as an example of Contemporary Native American music in the Permanent Library Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. She was named a 2015/16 Fellow of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.
Currently Redbone is developing BONE HILL, a musical theaterpiece, based on the stories of her Appalachian mining family’s heritage and history. In the piece Redbone travels back in time to her own childhood and beyond into the memories and tales of her Cherokee ancestors revealing an untold American story fueled a wide range of American music. Commissioned by Joe’s Pub/The Public Theater arts’ initiative, New York Voices, and a recipient of the New England Foundation for the Arts/National Performance Network.
Video
Audio
FORMATS
Standard Performance
Acoustic quintet featuring Martha Redbone (vocals, hand percussion), Aaron Whitby (keyboard), plus three additional band members on acoustic guitar, fiddle, and bass.
> An Evening w/
> Festival Headliner
Other Options
> Trio, sextet, and septet configurations also available.
> “Bone Hill: The Concert” : interdisciplinary theater work with original script and songs written by Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby.
> Outreach activities available.
OUTREACH
> Workshops/master classes
> Performances for young audiences
> Q&A
> Residencies
A wide range of educational outreach activities are available as related to Martha Redbone’s history of cultural preservation and mentorship through music. Please contact your SRO Artist Representative if you are interested in outreach options with Martha Redbone Roots Project.
ITINERARY
04.23.2018 - 04.27.2018 CA, Long Beach
06.26.2018 KY, Danville
11.30.2018 VA, Blacksburg
01.24.2019 - 01.25.2019 CA, Rohnert Park
PROMO ASSETS
Documents
Artist Bio (rev. January-2018) | PDF | DOC
Press/Reviews | PDF
Images
Audio MP3’s
Garden of Love – The Songs of William Blake (©2012 Blackfeet Prod.)
> #01 The Garden of Love | ZIP
> #02 Hear the Voice of the Bard | ZIP
> #04 On Anothers Sorrow | ZIP
> #07 I Rose Up At The Dawn Of Day | ZIP
Video MP4’s
> Promo Video, 2013 (1080d) | ZIP | STREAM
> Live Video, globalFEST 2013 , Hear The Voice Of The Bard | ZIP
> also click Media above/left for approved streams on YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.
Bone Hill: The Concert
> For Bone Hill assets, go here.
Featured Media
Reviews
New York Times (John Pareles)
"Martha Redbone's voice held both the taut determination of mountain music and the bite of American Indian singing." Read Review
Huffington Post (Dusty Wright)
“An organic, gorgeous feast for ears and minds.” Read Review
The New Yorker
"A brilliant collision of cultures." Read Review
NPR COVERAGE
Anastasia Tsioulcas covering globalFEST for NPR: "Redbone combines folk, Appalachian, soul and Native tradition in a group of settings of poetry by William Blake — a startling idea, perhaps, but one that brims with potency and freshness." Martha on All Things Considered | Martha on Tell Me More | Martha on All Songs Considered | Read Review
Village Voice
“Poised to be Americana's next superstar.” Village Voice globalFEST Review 2013 | Read Review