Podcasts Arts Soundcheck Jake Blount Transforms American Roots Music

Jake Blount Transforms American Roots Music

Published: June 22, 2020, 4 p.m.

Jake Blount is a singer, fiddler, banjo player, and scholar of old time American music –he’s especially interested in the deep roots of the African-American music of the southeast, where his own family is from. And given that this is Pride month, it’s probably worth mentioning he’s a board member of the group Bluegrass Pride as well. Jake has just released his first full-length album, called Spider Tales – a reference to Anansi, the West African trickster figure who takes the shape of a spider. The album is full of unusual old tunes as well as new takes on songs you might think you knew well. Jake joins us -remotely, of course-  to play a few of them for this edition of the Soundcheck Podcast. 

Set list: 

  1. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"
  2. "We’re Going to Hunt the Buffalo"
  3. "Roustabout"

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night":


"We’re Going to Hunt the Buffalo": 

"Roustabout":