The celebrated old-time musicians Leroy Troy and Jennifer Haas will perform Saturday, March 9, at this year's Great Southern Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention at Lindsay Street Hall in downtown Chattanooga. The convention begins at noon. Admission is $5.
Review for the performers:
Brittany Haas is a young and influential fiddler described by Mark O'Connor as "a major fiddling talent." She found another admirer in Steve Martin, who featured her fiddle playing on his Grammy-winning album The Crow. She also performed alongside Martin on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman. A resident of Nashville, she currently performs with all-star traditional music ensemble the Brittany Haas/Dan Trueman Band.
Leroy Troy, of Goodlettsville, Tn., has established a reputation as the premier old-time banjo player in the world over the last 30 years. In addition to his technical mastery, Troy performs long-lost techniques of banjo sleight-of-hand in which he twirls and flips the instrument mid-song to the delight of the audience. A regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry, Troy is a direct musical descendent of Uncle Dave Macon, the brightest star of the early Opry, who himself performed at the original Great Southern Fiddlers' Conventions in the 1920s.
The two performances will be interwoven with musical competitions. Musicians will compete for cash prizes in five categories: fiddle ($200), banjo ($100), string band ($150), traditional song ($60), and traditional dance ($60). A panel of judges will decide the winners. There are no registration fees.
The Great Southern Old-Time Fiddlers Convention combines performance and competition to preserve musical heritage. For more information and contest rules, visit www.oldchattanooga.com