Fleck and Washburn at the NCH, Dublin, 21 Jan. 2020

The National Concert Hall in Dublin announces that Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, 'the king and queen of the banjo', will be playing there in concert at 8.00 p.m. on Tuesday 21 January 2020. Tickets (from €27.50) will go on sale this coming Wednesday (16 Oct.); priority booking for Friends of the NCH is now open. The NCH release states:

Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Béla Fleck makes a welcome return to the NCH with musical and life partner, acclaimed singer, and clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn on 21 January 2020 as part of the NCH Perspectives Series.

Since releasing his debut solo album in 1979, Béla Fleck has become internationally recognised as a virtuoso of the banjo; bringing the instrument to a diverse audience via his dynamic interpretations of music from multiple genres. His partner Abigail Washburn has, through her solo output and as a member of Uncle Earl and the Sparrow Quartet, built a reputation as a unique stylist who adds extra dimensions to her playing by infusing it with oriental aspects.

Their debut album Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn (2014) reached number one on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and earned them a Grammy for Best Folk Album, and its follow-up Echo in the valley (2017) garnered similarly glowing acclaim.

Over the course of more than four decades Béla Fleck has courted jazz, classical, bluegrass, and more with a singular skill and sensibility, whether solo, with lauded ensemble Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, or in other guises. Complementing the wealth of experience he brings, Abigail’s distinctive vocal and uncanny ability to meld sundry influences make the duo a compelling musical force that harnesses both traditional and modern elements.

More detail and online booking facilities are on the NCH website.