Who/What is James Leva and Purgatory Mountain?

Onstage at the Arts Center at 5:30-6:30; Workshop at Shelby Music Center: 1:30 PM

Old-time music, "it's better than it sounds," goes the old saw. These guys have the chops. James learned all he could in person from Tommy Jarrell in Mount Airy and from other authentic old-time musicians. He's got 8 or 9 CD's out there with a mixture of traditional tunes and his own well-honed songs. Here's an article from Bluegrass Now magazine's Band to Watch column, September, 2007.

Mandolin/guitar player extraordinaire Danny Knicely used to be in McGraw Gap with Larry Keel, and has played with everybody including Tony Rice and Vassar Clements. Check out Danny with James on youtube here or with Kristin Andreassen and Mark Schatz here and here with Casey Driessen and Mark.

Al Tharp is based in Louisiana and plays in the famous Beuasoleil band and they played the Super Bowl. Al plays hot licks on the openback banjo as well as upright and (sometimes) electric bass. Matthew Gordon will be adding precussion, bones, fiddlesticks and traditional Appalachian dance to the mix (flat-foot, buck dancing, that's the idea).

So, when you see James Leva and Purgatory Mountain on the Art of Sound Festival schedule, you know to expect good music and musicianship, some traditional, some current and all a good way to spend an hour. Look for them at 1:30-2:45 at Shelby Music Center for a workshop on Appalachian Music and Dance (Danny's quite a teacher to tie some of the world's traditions and influences together -
...Here are Jame, Danny, Al and Megan Downs (filling in for Matthew Olwell and Matty Gordan) at Art of Sound 2007: