Description

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) is proud to announce a special concert here at White Horse Black Mountain, featuring the acclaimed, Grammy-nominated bluegrass duo Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Proceeds from the show will directly support the organization’s Blue Ridge Music Trails, which preserves and promotes the traditional music of Western North Carolina. The show is part of the Asheville Sessions Celebration, a four-day event from November 6 to 9, commemorating the 1925 Asheville Sessions, the first collection of recordings that captured Appalachian music.

The Asheville Sessions Celebration features concerts, historical programs, panel discussions, and the re-release of a historic album. Events in Asheville are scheduled across venues, including the Funkatorium, The Grey Eagle, Pack Library, and the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. This concert at White Horse promises to be an evening dedicated to the rich Appalachian music traditions of the region.

Darin and Brooke Aldridge, both from Avery County, NC, have made significant contributions to the state’s renowned music heritage, leading the way in the Americana, Bluegrass, and Country music genres. They have performed at the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Awards. Brooke has won the award for Female Vocalist of the Year on four occasions, and Darin is well-known as an extraordinary singer and multi-instrumentalist, as well as a former member of The Country Gentlemen. The two combined are a strong musical force, having performed at the Grand Ole Opry over 60 times, and by working with other music legends, including Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gil, and the Oak Ridge Boys. The couple is listed on BRNHA’s Traditional Artist Directory.

In addition to the Aldridges, BRNHA is excited to include two Warren Wilson College bands: The Bowbenders (Bluegrass) and Frog Tone Stringband (Old Time Music), as opening acts for the evening. Warren Wilson College, located in nearby Swannanoa, NC, offers a music program that focuses on traditional music. The concert will provide an opportunity for students to showcase their own interpretations of songs from the 1925 Asheville Sessions, coinciding with Explore Asheville’s celebration of the recordings, which will take place throughout downtown Asheville.