In conjunction with a guitar-making workshop taught by Gerald Anderson from Sept. 6 to 16, Tryon Arts and Crafts School at 373 Harmon Field Road will be hosting a concert featuring bluegrass/old time music favorites Wayne Henderson, Gerald Anderson, and Herb Key, along with New 5 Cents on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Tryon Arts & Crafts School’s Annex Building. There will be donation at the door.

Wayne Henderson’s guitar playing has been enjoyed at Carnegie Hall, in three national tours of Masters of the Steel-String Guitar, and in seven nations in Asia. In addition to his reputation as a guitarist, Henderson is a luthier of great renown. He is a recipient of a 1995 National Heritage Award presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, and will also be assisting Gerald Anderson for a few days with his workshop at Tryon Arts & Crafts School.

Gerald Anderson, also a luthier of great renown who got his start making mandolins in Wayne Henderson’s guitar shop, as well as performing with him in concert, over 30 years ago, has made more than 25 recordings and won over 200 ribbons in musical competitions, the most prestigious being the ribbon for first place guitar at the 2003 Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, Va. In 2006, he performed in the “Crooked Road” musical tour of Scotland and has performed at the 2005 and 2007 National Folk Festivals in Richmond, Va.

Herb Key, luthier and guitarist, has performed with the High County Ramblers, which won a Galax Fiddlers Convention in the bluegrass band category, and now performs with the Elkville String Band and with Wayne Henderson. Herb has won several ribbons in folk singing competitions at regional festivals and relishes in singing story-songs. Through his music and his revived vintage acoustic guitars, Herb preserves a piece of the American culture, and is one of our region’s treasures.

New 5 Cents is a bluegrass band from western North Carolina that began playing together in the fall of 2010. Members include Richard Jolly on guitar, Brett Setzer on banjo, Russ Jordan on mandolin and Billie Jordan on the upright bass. A few of the venues/events where New 5 Cents has performed include RenoFest, Blue Ridge BBQ Festival, Fletcher Feed and Seed, Belle Farms, The King Pup Radio Show, Isothermal Community College and the Tryon Fine Arts Center.

With all these fine performers, this should be a fun concert, but seating is limited, so do be sure to get there in advance to ensure seating.

– article submitted by Cathy Fischer