By ALAN HOSKINS
One of the world’s most highly acclaimed folk duos, “Sparky and Rhonda Rucker,” will bring their music and story-telling to Kansas City Kansas Community College Wednesday, March 27.
Free and open to the public, they’ll present shows at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Ave. In addition, a pre-concert reception will be held at the evening performance at 6:30 p.m. with music by the Sukiels.
“Sparky Rucker is unique! He’ll make you glad to be alive and struggling,” says Pete Seeger. “An absolute must concert,” said U. Utah Phillips while Phil Shapiro of WVBR said “Sparky and Rhonda continue to show just how lively the American folk music tradition can be.”
Performing for more than 40 years both domestically and internationally, Sparky and Rhonda have performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and at national folk festivals in Australia and Scotland well as on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and Morning Edition radio shows.
Their recording of “Treasures & Tears” was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award and their music is included on the Grammy-nominated anthology, “Singing Through the Hard Times.”
An uplifting presentation of toe-tapping music spiced with humor, history and tall tales, they take audiences on an educational and emotional journey that ranges from poignant stories of slavery and war to an amusing rendition of a Brer Rabbit tale or witty commentaries on current events.
Providing their own accompaniment with finger-style picking a bottleneck blues guitar, blues harmonica, old-time banjo, piano, spoons and bones, their music includes a variety of old-time blues, Appalachian music, slave songs, Civil War music, spirituals, work songs, ballads, civil rights music and their own original compositions.
Sponsored by the KCKCC Intercultural Center and Fun Arts Series, additional information is available by contacting Intercultural Center Director Barbara Clark-Evans at 913-288-7504 or bclark@kckcc.edu.
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PHOTO: Toe-tapping music spiced with humor, history and tall tales will be presented by the international duo of Sparky and Rhonda Rucker in performances at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Kansas City Kansas Community College Wednesday, March 27.
