Jake Blount
Jake Blount is an American musician and writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. He specializes in the traditional music of African Americans, and his work has been described as "Afrofuturist folklore." Blount, while initially recognized for his skill as an old-time banjo player and fiddler, is a versatile multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has described his music as "genrequeer." He often performs most of the parts on his recordings, and fluently employs modern instruments and production techniques in his performances of centuries-old repertoire. His work critiques popular notions of genre and linear time, and usually centers themes of social and environmental justice.
Blount's first full-length solo album, Spider Tales, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart. It received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2021 International Folk Music Awards, was named Best of the Americas in the Songlines Music Awards in the same year. Shortly after the album's release, Blount was awarded the Steve Martin Banjo Prize. His single "The Man Was Burning" appeared on Spotify's list of the Best Blues Songs of 2022. Blount's 2 most recent albums, The New Faith and Symbiont, were released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings as part of their African-American Legacy Series. The New Faith was ranked among the best folk and roots releases of 2022 by news outlets including The Guardian, NPR and Rolling Stone.
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