"Absolutely magical..." - Dirty Linen Folk and World Music Magazine
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Celtic Appalachian Music
A unique musical experience!
Steve and Ruth Smith, from the
Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, play a unique blend of Celtic Appalachian music featuring hammered dulcimer, guitar, and clawhammer banjo.
Steve and Ruth, both of Scots-Irish heritage, have been performing together for over 30 years across the United States and around the world.
Dirty Linen Folk & World Music Magazine says “ Ruth Smith's touch on the hammered dulcimer is absolutely magical, with exquisite phrasing, highlighting the range of the
instrument especially on
her own pieces.”
Steve, an ASCAP award-winning
song-writer, adds fingerstyle guitar, clawhammer banjo, and vocals to the duo. Dirty Linen Folk & World Music Magazine says Steve Smith's accompaniment on guitar and clawhammer banjo provides "a traditional . . . rich, true sound" to their Celtic Appalachian music.
Steve and Ruth's music is regularly heard on XM & Sirius satellite radio, Dish and Direct-TV music channels, Highlander Radio Networks, and acoustic music format radio stations around the U.S. They have been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, All Songs Considered, Thistle & Shamrock, and in Dulcimer Players News. They were 2009 nominees in JPF International Music Awards, the world's largest awards for independent musicians.
Steve & Ruth's CD "Dancin' Cross the Strings" was nominated in the 2009 JPF Music Awards "Best Instrumental Roots Music Album" category."Just Plain Folks" is an international organization of Songwriters, Recording Artists and Music Industry Professionals and host to the world's largest independent music awards. Over 42,000 albums were submitted for the 2009 awards from over 160 countries with 10 nominees being selected in each music genre category. Less than 1/3 of 1% of the CDs submitted were nominated. (back to top)
