Charlie Poole Style Banjo
Danville, Virginia
The New North Carolina Ramblers perform old-time string band music in the tradition of such legendary artists as Charlie Poole, The Carter Family and The Floyd County Ramblers. The band was founded and is still led by Kinney Rorrer on banjo. The great nephew of Charlie Poole and Posey Rorer, Kinney has written numerous liner notes and magazine articles on old-time music, in addition to his biography of Charlie Poole. For decades Kinny co-hosted a seminal radio program of traditional rural music called Back to the Blue Ridge on WFVT-FM, Southwest Virginia’s NPR affiliate. Kinney also taught history for 32 years at Danville Community College in Danville, Virginia, before retiring in 2006. He is the author of Ramblin’ Blues: The Life and Songs of Charlie Poole.
The New North Carolina Ramblers are inspired by the rural traditional recording artists and the back porch musicians who have entertained throughout the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains for generations. The band has performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, MerleFest, the National Folk Festival, The Ferrum Folklife Festival, the Wayne Henderson Festival, and the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.
Many great musicians have played with the Ramblers over the years, including Richmond Folk Festival veterans Jeremy Stephens and Kirk Sutphin. The group’s current lineup includes longtime member Darren Moore on guitar, Margaret Martin on guitar and vocals, and former North Carolina State Folklorist Wayne Martin on fiddle.