Jake Blount | Honeysuckle | Naomi Westwater

JAKE BLOUNT:
A powerfully gifted musician and a scholar of Black American music, Jake Blount speaks ardently about the African roots of the banjo and the subtle, yet profound ways African Americans have shaped and defined the amorphous categories of roots music and Americana. On stage, each song he and his band play is chosen for a reason – because it highlights important elements about the stories we tell ourselves of our shared history and our endlessly complicated present moment. The more we learn about where we’ve been, the better equipped we are to face the future.

HONEYSUCKLE:
Honeysuckle is a progressive folk act that blends older influences and traditional instrumentation with modern effects and inspiration. Composed of Holly McGarry and Chris Bloniarz, this Boston based band can frequently be found performing across the country. Awards include Americana Artist of the Year (2019) and Folk Artist of the Year (2018) at the Boston Music Awards, in addition to having been nominated every year since 2016.

NAOMI WESTWATER:
Naomi Westwater is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter and producer from Massachusetts. Their work combines music with creative writing, visual art, and spirituality. Like a rose with many petals, Naomi’s music is layered, striking, and tender, and she weaves in and out of folk music, flirting with rock and jazz. She was nominated for a 2022 and a 2021 Boston Music Award for best singer-songwriter, she is a 2020 617Sessions Artist, a 2020 Boston Opportunity Fund recipient, a 2019 Club Passim Iguana Music Fund grant recipient, and a 2019 Berklee College of Music Post Master’s Graduate Fellow.