PUTNEY, Vt. – Next Stage Arts presents a rare evening of acoustic blues with Corey Harris and Sunny Lowdown on Saturday, Feb. 28. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m., at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, Vt. Tickets are available at www.nextstagearts.org.
Corey Harris, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and band leader, has carved a singular place in contemporary blues. Beginning as a street singer in New Orleans, Harris has toured across North America, Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean, West Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. A year living in Cameroon deeply shaped his musical voice, blending blues tradition with reggae, soul, rock, and West African influences. His 1995 album “Between Midnight and Day” honored acoustic blues traditions, and his subsequent releases showcase his evolution from interpreter to visionary songwriter.
Harris has collaborated with icons including B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, R.L. Burnside, Dave Matthews Band, Tracy Chapman, Wilco, and Natalie Merchant, and was featured in Martin Scorsese’s “Feel Like Going Home.” In recognition of his innovative work, Harris received a MacArthur Genius Grant and an honorary Doctor of Music from Bates College in 2007.
Sharing the stage, Sunny Lowdown is a master of slide guitar known for deep grooves, slow-burning blues, and a raw, hypnotic sound. Beginning his professional career at 16 backing John Lee Hooker, Lowdown has collaborated with legends including Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Otis Rush, R.L. Burnside, and Cedell Davis. His 2018 release “Down Loaded” earned a Blues Blast Music Award nomination, and in 2019 he won the Vermont Blues Challenge, advancing to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn. Whether electric or acoustic, Lowdown’s understated approach emphasizes tone, phrasing, and feel over flash.
This performance is cosponsored by the Vermont Blues Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting blues music through concerts, workshops, and educational programs. For more information, visit www.vermontbluessociety.org, or follow them on Facebook.