Cary Street Ramblers

Cary Street Ramblers play traditional string band music. Our repertoire consists of a wide selection of tunes and songs performed in a manner reminiscent of early country music - the kind that would have been heard on old 78 recordings and in the early days of radio broadcasting. The heart of the Ramblers' style is built around the traditional fiddle and banjo tunes and styles from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and Western North Carolina. We follow the Old-Time style of those regions, but also play a collection of tunes and songs from the musical traditions of other regions of the country. We explore the rich musical traditions of the Midwest – Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska – as well as the Southwest, to include tunes from Texas, Oklahoma and as far away as California. By embracing a diverse mixture of tunes and songs from across the gamut of American Old-Time Musical traditions, CSR can adapt our repertoire to a wide range of performance settings, from stage concerts to festivals, to dances, to private parties. While staying true to the traditions embodied in Appalachian Old-Time Music, the Ramblers’ varied collection of tunes and songs allows the band to appeal to a broad audience of acoustic music enthusiasts. The band regularly performs at various venues, including festivals, old-time fiddler's festivals, dances, and special events.