Paul’s Creek

Welcome to Paul’s Creek… a winding stream where the string band music of Carol Rifkin  & Paul’s Creek resonates to the surrounding hills …The Paul’s Creek Band is One of North Carolina’s finest mountain music groups, combining traditional and original songs with fine singing, harmonies, stories, dance and more….Loaded with personality, their show reflects the hillbilly era of songs and stories mixed with a bit of  mountain charm.

“An enjoyable evening of great old-time music with beautiful harmonies, plenty of humor and even some ‘stage stomping’ dance,” Lynn L. Shields, Executive Director of the  Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.

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 Paul’s Creek is a gathering of friends in a string band format and many friends have
participated over the years including:     Carol Rifkin, Jamie Soesbee, Arvil Freeman,George Buckner, Troy Harrison, Tim Gardner, Shiela Kay Adams and many more!

Carol Rifkin: “Sing-Dance-Play-Share” is a theme for this mountain personality. Joyously sharing traditional music, writing original songs, exploring the role of women in mountain music, teaching large groups to dance together or engaging people to sing along; her soaring sweet voice is uniquely recognizable on stage or radio (WNCW/WSIF). More than 1,000 columns and stories published in newspapers and magazines (Acoustic Guitar, SingOut, …) chronicle her knowledge of mtn. traditions. A nationally known, award winning singer, musician and clogger, Carol danced with both Doc and Merle Watson (“That’s the best dancin’ I ever heard,” said Doc) and was an early member of the former Green Grass Cloggers Professional Road Team. Carol recorded w Dick Tarrier, the Blue RidgeSerenaders, Roger Howell, Arvil Freeman, David Holt, Paul’s Creek and many traditional groups and received Asheville’s 2013 Bascom Lamar Lunsford award for “Significant contribution to the Art of Appalachian culture,” at the 86th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. Whether playing with fiddler Arvil Freeman, singing with bass player Jamie Soesbee in Paul’s Creek or as a trio with friends, her performances are lively, engaging and full of historic content that make the music come alive.

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Legendary fiddler Arvil Freeman joins  Paul’s Creek when he is not fiddlin’ with the Stoney Creek Boys. At age 14 he went across America fiddling with Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Tommy Hunter and the Bailey Mtn. Cloggers, plays on countless recordings, won fiddle at Union Grove, MDFF and many contests, reigns on fiddle at Shindig on the Green on summer Saturday nights in Asheville and is most proud of his award winning students.

Jamie Soesbee is a Buncombe County native who started out playing with pop bands, worked
as a professional studio session musician in the ’70s and ’80s and toured internationally with Jazz groups and various dance bands. In 1979, he played bass on the top hit gospel single of all time- Squire Parson’s “Sweet Beulah Land”.  An award winning bass player who genre jumps with ease, he is related to the legendary country singer Jimmie Rodgers who had roots in Asheville and his fine clear voice adds harmonies and lead to Paul’s Creek.

You can tell the members of Paul’s Creek Band like each other, it comes through in their smooth harmonies, their solid playing and the infectious good time they bring to their shows,” Grammy winner David Holt

“Paul’s Creek band represents what mountain music in the Blue Ridge is all about! The musicianship and variety is wonderful. And their interaction with the audience really makes for a great show! Feed & Seed highly recommends this band.” Rev. Phillip Trees, owner

Paul’s Creek has a state of the art sound system and is available for festivals, concerts, clubs, private events, educational programs & mountain style square dance or clogging sessions.

The new Paul’s Creek CD “Friends” is here, available at our store here, iTunes, CDBaby …

More Inf.:  paulscreek@gmail.com, www.paulscreek.com 

 

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legendary fiddler Arvi Freeman plays with Paul’s Creek at MerleFest

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