Jeff Little Trio feat. Wayne Henderson

It would be hard to imagine a more impressive combination than guitarist Wayne Henderson and pianist Jeff Little, two of the finest players from the Blue Ridge Mountains. When these two musical masters get together, the playing is captivating, not to mention the stories and jokes.

Jeff Little continues an often hidden, yet fascinating tradition of piano playing in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With few exceptions, the piano does not play a prominent part in Appalachian music, and is rarely the lead instrument. But Little is an exception—and a remarkable one. His distinctive two-handed style, much influenced by mountain flatpicked-guitar tradition, is breathtaking in its speed, precision, and clarity. Hailing from Boone, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge—one of America’s richest regions for traditional music—he began playing piano at age five. Jeff’s family ran Little’s Music Store in Boone, where musicians frequently dropped by to play a tune. Among those was Doc Watson, a neighbor and close family friend, whose music helped to shape Jeff’s unique piano style. While Watson was a keeper of deep Appalachian traditions, he also pioneered the flatpicking of intricate fiddle melodies on the guitar and played rockabilly.

A professional musician from age 14, Jeff is conversant with traditional jazz, old-time, country, bluegrass, rockabilly, blues and rock ’n’ roll. He worked in Nashville for a while as a session man, when he wasn’t on the road backing commercial country artists. In 2004, Jeff returned to the Blue Ridge and started teaching at colleges around the region; currently, he is artist in residence and chair of the Music Department at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Jeff has performed worldwide on U.S. government goodwill tours, and in 2014, he was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.

Appearing alongside Little will be his longtime collaborator, Steve Lewis, and his son, Luke Little. Steve is one of the most respected banjo and guitar players in the Blue Ridge, and has taken top picking honors at such prestigious contests as the Walnut Valley Nationals, Merlefest, Galax’s Old Fiddlers’ Convention, and the Wayne C. Henderson Guitar Competition. An outstanding mandolin player, Luke began playing at age 15, and soon won numerous contest ribbons, including first place at the 2018 Ashe Fiddlers Convention.

Wayne Henderson was born, raised and still lives in tiny Rugby, Virginia—population seven—in Grayson County, Virginia, near the North Carolina border. His father and uncle were musicians who played in the string band of Estil Ball, a renowned fingerstyle guitarist in the area. Inspired by Ball, Wayne ordered a cheap guitar from the Sears catalog. It proved a sad disappointment, which helped launch his career as a guitar maker when he built his own using the wood from a dresser drawer. He sought out neighbor Albert Hash, one of the region’s most renowned instrument makers, and Wayne’s passion for the craft grew. For years, he worked as a rural mail carrier, performing and building guitars and other instruments when he was not working. More than 650 guitars later, Henderson is considered one of the most exceptional instrument makers in the world. Unlike many luthiers, Wayne has never sought out famous endorsements. Eric Clapton waited seven years for a Henderson guitar; as Wayne reasoned, “Well, he’s already got plenty of nice ones to play.” Henderson’s shop is more than a place of work. It’s a place where renowned musicians frequently stop by to pick a few tunes, and where the community comes together to share knowledge, music, and most importantly, time.

An accomplished picker and player, Henderson uses a thumbpick and fingerpicks; his playing sounds like flatpicking, with amazing speed and fluidity, transforming fiddle and banjo pieces and the occasional jazz standard into stunning guitar solos. Wayne has won over 300 ribbons at fiddlers’ convention competitions. He was featured on the NCTA’sMaster of the Steel String Guitar tours, and has traveled worldwide. In 1995 he received the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor for folk and traditional arts.