Hubby Jenkins

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist, historian, and interpreter of American roots music whose work shines a light on the African-American influence at the heart of country, blues, and old-time traditions. A gifted banjoist, guitarist, and fiddler, Jenkins first came to national prominence as a core member of the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, a group celebrated for reclaiming the Black string band legacy.

Driven by a deep passion for the cultural roots of American music, Jenkins has built a solo career that bridges performance and education. His shows are rich, soulful journeys through African-American musical history—blending spirituals, ragtime, early blues, and folk with stories that underscore the music’s historical and social context. Whether onstage at a major festival or leading workshops, Jenkins brings warmth, authenticity, and a deep reverence for the tradition.

In June 2024, Hubby Jenkins appeared at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville to celebrate the release of a groundbreaking CD that documents the role of African-Americans in the story of country music. This landmark event was followed by an invitation to perform on the Grand Ole Opry—marking another step in the ongoing recognition of Black artists in American roots genres.

Most recently, in May 2025, Jenkins brought his powerful performance to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where he captivated audiences with his mix of historical storytelling and masterful musicianship.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Jenkins has performed at venues and festivals across the U.S. and internationally. His mission remains clear: to elevate the underrepresented contributions of Black musicians in American history while delivering moving, unforgettable performances rooted in truth and tradition. Through his music, Hubby Jenkins continues to build bridges between past and present—one note at a time.

Learn more at https://www.hubbyjenkins.com/

Laurelyn Dossett

Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives in Stokes County, NC. Her songs have appeared in film and television and have been recorded by many artists including Grammy-winning Levon Helm (Anna Lee) and Rhiannon Giddens (Leaving Eden). She has written the songs for seven professional plays, and a folk song cycle for the North Carolina Symphony. Laurelyn teaches songwriting at the UNCG School of Music.

Her most recent album, How Many Moons, produced by M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, will be released in August 2026.

Learn more at https://www.laurelyndossett.com/

Danny Schmidt

Named to the Chicago Tribune’s list of the "50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years", Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt has amassed a cult following for his poetic, poignant lyrics. With a craftsmanship and emotional depth drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt, Schmidt is considered a preeminent writer. Sing Out Magazine proclaimed that: “Schmidt is a force of nature: a blue moon, a hundred-year flood, an avalanche of a singer-songwriter. His songs are a flood of poetry, mythology, folk wisdom, and surprise. He is perhaps the best new songwriter we’ve heard in the last 15 years.”

Performing solo most often, armed with just his voice, his acoustic guitar, and his acute insight and commentary, Schmidt’s an authentic timeless troubadour, one man sharing his truth in the form of songs, in unadorned and intimate fashion. The understated effect can be powerful. As songwriter Jeffrey Foucault put it: “Everything about the man is gentle, except for his capacity for insight, which is crushing.”

After garnering unanimous critical praise for his self-released Parables & Primes album in 2005, Schmidt’s follow up release, Little Grey Sheep in 2007 began a streak of albums that topped the FolkDJ Radio Charts internationally. And on the heels of being crowned with one of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk awards in 2007, Schmidt won the notice of venerable Americana roots label, Red House Records, who began releasing his albums in 2009, alongside such notable artists as Greg Brown, Eliza Gilkyson, and John Gorka, thus exposing his music to a broader audience.

Schmidt released three albums on Red House Records, including the critically acclaimed debut Instead The Forest Rose To Sing in 2009, the spare and intimate Man Of Many Moons in 2011, and culminating with the amorous duo album For Keeps with his partner, Carrie Elkin, in 2014. Schmidt returned to self-releasing his own music in 2016 with the album Owls, a mystical collection of ethereal allegories. Standard Deviation in 2019 is Schmidt’s ninth solo record and tenth album total.

Schmidt’s relationship with the hit podcast Welcome To Night Vale began when his song This Too Shall Pass was used in one of their first episodes, and immediately struck a chord with the podcast’s young and hyper-intelligent audience. The relationship has grown since then, as Schmidt has subsequently toured with the podcast for many of their live shows as the special musical guest, and has premiered some his newest creations on the show.

Family life for Schmidt has begun to interweave with his musical life. His wife Carrie Elkin is herself an acclaimed singer/songwriter, and the two often tour together, sharing songs back and forth, and singing harmonies on each other’s work. In 2016 they celebrated the birth of their daughter, Maizy, who is often a fixture at their duo shows.

Learn more at https://www.dannyschmidt.com/