By: Richard Zeigler—
Muncie, IN— Celebrated bluegrass super group The Earls of Leicester featuring Jerry Douglas will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2017 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Friday, August 4th at Canan Commons (500 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. Indianapolis’ Flatland Harmony Experiment will open the show.
Jerry Douglas put the Earls of Leicester together in 2014 as a tribute to the sounds and stylings of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. The Earls are made up of some the finest stars in bluegrass country music: Jerry Douglas – dobro (and producer); Shawn Camp – lead vocals and guitar; Charlie Cushman – banjo; Johnny Warren – fiddle; Barry Bales – bass and vocals; and Jeff White – mandolin. The band released their eponymous debut to immediate acclaim, winning the 2015 Grammy for Bluegrass Album of the Year. They have also won statues from the International Bluegrass Music Association for:
- Entertainers of the Year (2015 and 2016)
- Instrumental Group of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Dobro Player of the Year (Jerry Douglas)
- Male Vocalist of the Year (Shawn Camp)
- Banjo Player of the Year (Charlie Cushman)
- Bass Player of the Year (Barry Bales).
Part of what drives the band is to rekindle the old style of bluegrass for those who experienced it back in the day. “Many audience members have come up to me after a show and said, ‘I thought that sound was gone,’ “says Douglas. As important, however, is his statement, “I hope people who don’t know Flatt and Scruggs hear this and think it’s totally new music,” Douglas says. “Then, I hope they find out what we’re doing and go out and buy every Flatt and Scruggs record they can find.”
About the Muncie Three Trails Music Series
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
