Cephas & Wiggins at SFF-41 on 27 June 2007

Cephas & Wiggins are leading exponents of the Piedmont Blues -- specifically the Piedmont-style guitar, featuring alternating thumb and finger, with the thumb creating a steady, loping bass as the melody is simultaneously picked out on the treble strings. The two met in 1977 at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., where Cephas was playing in the band of pianist Big Chief Ellis and Wiggins was accompanying gospel singer-guitarist Flora Melton. Along with pianist Wilber "Big Chief" Ellis and bassist James Bellamy, John and Phil formed the Barrelhouse Rockers. A year after Ellis' death, the duo of Cephas & Wiggins was born. Read more at http://www.cephasandwiggins.net/.

Here is a video of John Cephas and Phil Wiggins performing on the Mountain Laurel Stage at the 2007 (41st) Smithsonian Folklife Festival on National Mall in Washington DC during the first day, 27 June 2007.

Elvert Barnes Photog / Videog

Category:

Music

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• 2007
• Smithsonian
• Folklife
• Festival
• National
• Mall
• John
• Cephas
• Phill
• Wiggins