Jazz Bluegrass concert Who: Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Del McCoury Band When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Hogdson Hall, UGA Performing Arts Center, 230 River Road, Athens Tickets: $20-$49, discounts for UGA students; purchase online at http://www.uga.edu/pac or call the box office, 706-542-4400 or 888-289-8497
ATHENS — Two great sounds of Americana will come together on the stage Saturday at Hodgson Hall.
The 8 p.m. concert will unite the world’s premier New Orleans jazz band, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, with one of the nation’s top bluegrass bands, the Del McCoury Band, for a single show.
The bands blend traditional harmonies from both the Appalachians and Bourbon Street into a unique sound on their current tour.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from the music venue founded in 1961 in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. The band has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, for British Royalty and the King of Thailand.
Del McCoury joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1963, and within a few years had formed his own band, the Dixie Pals, later taking his name. Its accolades include three consecutive Male Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, and a streak of nine Entertainer of the Year honors in 11 years beginning in 1994.
In its 50-year history, the Del McCoury Band has remained stable, with just one member changing in the last 15 years. McCoury earned membership in the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 2003, and the band won its first Best Bluegrass Album Grammy Award two years later.