Biography

CONTACT INFORMATION:
EH REPRESENTATION - AB WALKER (347) 337-3403
ehmusicmgmt@gmail.com

Click here to go to The Ebony Hillbillies Music Page


EH QUOTES:

“What a wonderful connection to all our humanity!”
-The New York Times

"They recreate the music you would have heard if you could time travel to a country dance in Mississippi around 1903."
-Mick Gold, BBC/UK

"Joyous, athletic, ancient, modern, and eternal, the Ebony Hillbillies don’t just tell an important story about our country and keep an essential part of our musical heritage alive, but they entertain, magically, majestically, gracefully, and energetically. A pile of passionate, high-end musicians who apply their skill to filling this old tradition with beautiful new life, it’s likely you won’t see a more engaging, entertaining, and purely joyful band all year."
-Tim Sommer, SHO


THE EBONY HILLBILLIES - I THOUGHT YOU KNEW
Release Date - 2005

DEDICATED TO MARTHA HOLMES
FEBRUARY 7, 1923 - SEPTEMBER 19, 2006

The Ebony Hillbillies are not only one of the last black string bands in AMERICA, but they are the only string band based in NYC. Consisting of fiddle, banjo, washboard, and bass fiddle, they have successfully created a following that has crossed over to audiences in pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and beyond while maintaining their grassroots credibility. Their 19thcentury string band sound was popular in the 1920's and 1930's. This was a key element in the genesis of jazz and virtually everything after (blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock & roll, etc...). With a nothing's off-limits repertoire that pays homage to tradition but keeps an eye and ear on the present and future, The Ebony Hillbillies play a mix of tasty originals, unique renditions of classics we know and love ("Waltz Across Texas," "Liza Jane," Tim O'Brien's "Time To Learn," "Cluck Ol' Hen," "Jericho") and wonderfully unexpected contemporary pop/soul songs like Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing."

The Ebony Hillbillies' sophomore CD, I Thought You Knew continues to provide a great introduction to a largely forgotten cultural legacy

www.theEbonyHillbillies.com


THE EBONY HILLBILLIES
I THOUGHT YOU KNEW
2005 EH MUSIC

01. ALGIA MAE 3:32
02. JERICHO 3:08
03. I THOUGHT YOU KNEW 2:39
04. LIZA JANE 4:58
05. CLUCK OLD HEN 3:51
06. LAURA’S SONG 3:36
07. MAMA & PAPA’S WALTZ 3:09
08. DANGEROUS MAN 4:14
09. COMING OF AGE 3:25
10. HUGO 2:37
11. ANNA MAE (A LULLABYE) 3:13
12. IDA RED (GYPSY DAVY) 4:10
13. TIME TO LEARN 3:10
14. WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS 3:32
15. SEXUAL HEALING 4:14



CREDITS:
HENRIQUE PRINCE - Violin, Vocals.
NORRIS BENNETT - Banjo, Mountain Dulcimer, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals.
DAVE COLDING - Acoustic Bass
RICKY “DIRTY RED” GORDON - Washboard, Percussion, Vocals
TONY GARNIER - Acoustic Bass (“SEXUAL HEALING”)

Produced By LARRY BAEDER
Additional Production on “SEXUAL HEALING” By AW
Recorded December 2004 - February 2005 at PYRAMID STUDIOS, NYC
Recorded By TOM HEMLEB & LARRY BAEDER
Protools By KATHRYN “THE KAT” DIEHL
Mastered By HOWIE WEINBERG at MASTERDISK, NYC

Photography By MARTHA HOLMES
Art Design By GLORIA GASSAWAY


SPECIAL THANKS:

- Henrique Thanks -
MY MOM (OLYMPIA PRINCE)
MY SISTER (ANN)
MY HEART (GLORIA GASSAWAY)
MY TEACHERS (BARRY HARRIS, GIL COGGINS, MS. ALGIA MAE HINTON)
MY FAMILY (THE HODGES - ANTHONY, ROZ, JOE, SHEILA, CORNELIUS, MARILYN)
MY FRIENDS (MARK DEMARTA & THE GUY FROM JEWEL, CA - WHO LOANED ME A VIOLIN)
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY LAW (JOHN GRIZZEL)

- Norris Thanks -
MY FAMILY, MODERN MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS, JENNIFER, ALGIA MAE HINTON FOR INSPIRING THE SONG (ALGIA MAE), AND ALL THE WONDERFUL ARTISTS THAT HAVE COME INTO MY LIFE.




01. ALGIA MAE 3:32
Songwriter/Author: NORRIS BENNETT
Publishing: OCALA KID MUSIC - ASCAP

Words and music by Norris Bennett. Written in a motel in North Carolina, first the banjo frailing pattern, the chorus, and then soon there was the entire song. i played the fills but it was Norris who by this time in his life, could write anything. It was for the great Algia Mae Hinton, whose birthday was the next day.



02. JERICHO 3:08
Songwriter/Author: Traditional - Arr. by THE EH
Publishing: THE EBONY HILLBILLIES MUSIC INC

An EH fave - When Norris and I first started playing together it was in public, busking. Norris asked me if I knew Jericho. It took a long time to work out a tuning for the violin, that matched his tuning on his Dulcimer. Finally settled on B'E'B'E'. There it was, our sound.



03. I THOUGHT YOU KNEW 2:39
Songwriter/Author: O H PRINCE
Publishing: IVORY THRONE MUSIC - BMI

The title tune which both of us claimed the other wrote and no one knew why.



04. LIZA JANE 4:58
Songwriter/Author: Traditional - Arr. by THE EH
Publishing: THE EBONY HILLBILLIES MUSIC INC

Sung by Norris. This real old-time rocker is earlier than the blues, but such a shameless ride for the EH.



05. CLUCK OLD HEN 3:51
Songwriter/Author: Traditional - Arr. by THE EH
Publishing: THE EBONY HILLBILLIES MUSIC INC

I thought I could play old-time, till I met Norris, who actually lived there, in his mind. Leaving the planet, plus time travel. -Rique



06. LAURA’S SONG 3:36
Songwriter/Author: NORRIS BENNETT
Publishing: OCALA KID MUSIC - ASCAP

A song about someone else's complex relationship. Norris once again showing he could write about anything.-Rique



07. MAMA & PAPA’S WALTZ 3:09
Songwriter/Author: Traditional - Arr. by THE EH
Publishing: THE EBONY HILLBILLIES MUSIC INC

A Creole French two-step Waltz. Americanity. This and anything like it is a tribute to CANRAY FONTENOT, and to AMEDE ARDOIN, and DENNIS MURPHY. Some of the funkiest stuff in history.



08. DANGEROUS MAN 4:14
Songwriter/Author: O H PRINCE
Publishing: IVORY THRONE MUSIC - BMI

"Tex," said it was a Blues, and that I was channeling Muddy Waters. I wouldn't say that at all. It did turn out to be fun though.



09. COMING OF AGE 3:25
Songwriter/Author: O H PRINCE
Publishing: IVORY THRONE MUSIC - BMI

wherein I attempt to capture the essence of the last 350 years of American history. Norris was a more than willing accomplice.



10. HUGO 2:37
Songwriter/Author: NORRIS BENNETT
Publishing: OCALA KID MUSIC - ASCAP

One of Norris's older songs in an English style in prose referencing the illustrations of M.C. Esher.



11. ANNA MAE (A LULLABYE) 3:13
Songwriter/Author: NORRIS BENNETT
Publishing: OCALA KID MUSIC - ASCAP

The magic of the Dulcimer and the Magic of fiddling together. These little tunes contain a simple elegance that we danced through with joy. These tunes always drove the sessions.



12. IDA RED (GYPSY DAVY) 4:10
Songwriter/Author: Traditional - Arr. by THE EH
Publishing: THE EBONY HILLBILLIES MUSIC INC

Old-time music contains great diversity. This Old-time tune hails from The British Isles, and Black American tunes that share the same melody. The feel is always the thing here, sometimes I'd scream at everybody. Mostly they ignored me.



13. TIME TO LEARN 3:10
Songwriter/Author: TIM O’BRIEN/ PATRICK ALGER
Publishing: UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

Tim O'Brien's brilliant ode to his deceased sister and beautifully yet brilliantly delivered by Mr. Norris Bennett. One of his beloved signature songs, heavily requested wherever he went. It never failed to bring tears. We truly miss Mr. Norris Washington Bennett



14. WALTZ ACROSS TEXAS 3:32
Songwriter/Author: TALMADGE TUBB
Publishing: ERNEST TUBB MUSIC INC

As far from NYC, as you can possibly get. I do like old-time fiddling though, and so this song is perfect in some ways. With Norris Bennett on lead vocals and mountain dulcimer...



15. SEXUAL HEALING 4:14
Songwriter/Author: ODELL BROWN/DAVID RITZ/MARVIN GAYE - Arr. by AW
Publishing: EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC

This MARVIN GAYE classic was arranged with "Tex" - featuring Norris on lead vocals and mountain dulcimer...Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan) on acoustic bass and additional vocals by Dave Colding