Duo brings Piedmont blues to Manchester University
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – Piedmont blues is a genre of the blues named for the region in the United States between the Appalachians and the Atlantic.
Valerie and Ben Turner, the acoustic duo Piedmont Bluz, will present a program at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, in Cordier Auditorium on the North Manchester campus of Manchester University.
This event is free and open to the public.
The Turners are dedicated to preserving the rural country blues of African-Americans in the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee and educating their audiences. They do this by putting their performances into the historical context of the Piedmont style. This takes listeners back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Valerie sings vocals, and plays guitar, spoons and banjo. Ben plays the washboard, bones and harmonica. Here is an example of their music.
The Turners’ work has been influenced by Piedmont musicians Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis and John Cephas.
This event is sponsored by the Values, Ideas and Arts Committee at the University.
About Manchester University
Manchester University, with campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers more than 60 areas of academic study to nearly 1,600 students in undergraduate programs, a Master of Athletic Training, a Master of Pharmacogenomics and a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy. It has students from 20 nations and is home to the world's first undergraduate peace studies program, established in 1948. Learn more about the private, northern Indiana school at www.manchester.edu.
October 2017
Press release prepared by Tiffany Byers, Strategic Communications student assistant.