WYSO Midday Music host Evan Miller recorded an interview with Jake Blount. Blount is a multi-instrumentalist and singer. He draws inspiration form traditional African American music, which he also studied in an academic context at Hamilton College. “I kind of found my way into playing it through research,” he told Evan.
While Blount performed on banjo and fiddle -- traditional “folk” instruments -- in the WYSO studio, he started playing music on electric guitar. He still incorporates electric guitar into his live shows, he explained: “I’ve always considered myself a traditional Black folk musician, and that means casting a wide net. And rock and roll is part of that net. And punk is part of that net. And grunge is part of that net.”
On his new record, New Faith, Jake Blount explores African American past and future by reinterpreting traditional Black spirituals. New Faith is out now on Smithsonian Folkways Records. Blount will perform live at the Holland Theater on September 20.
