BRT Presents: Ed Sweeney / The Vox Hunters

Singer, guitarist and 5-string banjo player Ed Sweeney honors people and their histories by presenting music that entertains and educates. Through his musical expertise, breadth of knowledge, and wonderful sense of humor, he helps listeners understand the motivations, and stories that have made us who and what we are today. For more than 45 years Ed has actively explored ways to research, learn, perform and teach traditional American music. He became the first music major at Providence College in 1973 where he helped create and shape a curriculum that enabled him to continue learning, following his musical passion. Sweeney’s concerts and recordings have drawn accolades throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. His recordings have been reviewed or featured by major media including Boston Globe, Boston Herald, New York Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Sun, USA Today, and NPR, and his work is heard worldwide on hundreds of radio stations and on-line networks. Throughout his professional career Ed has been an explorer and learner.  With his knack for eclecticism and excavating overlooked songs, what you hear from Ed Sweeney today will not be the same as what you’ll hear from him tomorrow. Ed has taught 5-string banjo and guitar at Blackstone River Theatre for almost a decade.

The Vox Hunters hail from the great state of Rhode Island. Armand Aromin and Benedict Gagliardi are seekers and singers of old songs, cultivators of local music, and chronic multi-instrumentalists. They are joined by cellist/singer Flannery Brown. They are all touted as strong tradition-bearers in their generation, and their genuine affinity for the music is evident in the emotion they draw from it. With beautifully harmonizing voices tastefully garnished with fiddle, concertina, tenor guitar, and cello, The Vox Hunters offer an all-natural connection to the living tradition of folk music. Armand Aromin has also taught ukulele at Blackstone River Theatre for the past three years.