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Jones House to Host Free Thursday Evening Blues Jams with the King Bees

Penny Zamagni and Rob Baskerville of the King Bees lead a blues jam at the Jones House, with jam regulars Mike McKee and Rich Shulman.

Local music legends the King Bees will lead a pair of free Thursday evening Blues Jams at the Jones  House to help usher in the unofficial start of summer. 

On May 26 and June 2 from 7 to 9 p.m., Rob “Hound Dog” Baskerville and Penny “Queen Bee” Zamagni  of the King Bees will bring their signature soulful sound to host local blues enthusiasts in two special  blues-style jam sessions at the Jones House. All acoustic instrumentalists with a knowledge of basic  chords are invited to participate. 

“This is a great opportunity for musicians to interact with like minded individuals and to gain the skills  necessary to play alongside others in a ‘jam’ format,” says Town of Boone Cultural Resources  Coordinator Brandon Holder. “Blues is one of the most common genres for a jam and a great style of  music for beginner-level musicians.” 

The King Bees know a thing or two about the blues, having made a name for themselves in the industry  since they first came together in the 1980s. They have toured internationally and shared the bill and  collaborated with hall-of-fame caliber blues legends, the likes of which include Bo Didley, James Brown,  and Leon Russell. Closer to home, the King Bees host the popular annual New River Blues Festival in  Todd, NC and perform regularly at venues across the High Country. 

“We have been lucky to have the King Bees connected with the Jones House for a number of years,”  says Holder. “The King Bees are always popular in our summer concert series, and they also bring their  expertise to our Junior Appalachian Musicians program and our Thursday evening jams.” 

Jams at the Jones House are free and open to the public. Observers are welcome, but asked to be  respectful of the musicians. The regular weekly Thursday evening old-time music jam will run from 7 to  10 p.m. as usual. 

For those of you who can’t get enough of the King Bees, the band will also be performing at the first  annual Boonerang Music & Arts Festival in downtown Boone on Saturday, June 18.  

Learn more about Town of Boone music programming at the Jones House at www.joneshouse.org and  visit www.boonerangfest.com for more information about Boonerang Festival.

Courtesy of the Jones House Cultural Center.

Rob “Hound Dog” Baskerville of the King Bees hosts a blues jam in the Jones House parlor.