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It’s A Country Friday at the Jones House

Aug. 21, 2012. The Jones House goes Country on Friday, Aug. 24, at 5 p.m. as the Town of Boone continues the 2012 Concerts at the Jones House performances with Strictly Clean and Decent and the Buck Haggard Band.

Strictly Clean and Decent is an acoustic trio based in Lenoir, including husband-and-wife multi-instrumentalists Patrick and Kay Crouch and bass player, Ron Shuffler. While they perform an eclectic variety of acoustic-based genres, Strictly Clean and Decent is rooted in tradition. As members of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Traditional Artist Directory and longtime Caldwell Arts Council cohorts, Strictly Clean and Decent has been the house band for the long-running Caldwell Traditional Music showcases. Between Patrick and Kay, the two cover the guitar, mandolin, banjo, Dobro, fiddle, flute, piano, and tin whistle. Shuffler comes from a very musical family, including his brother George, who is known for helping create cross-picking guitar styles while performing with the Stanley Brothers. Strictly Clean and Decent will bring a variety of acoustic and country styles. “I am very excited to have Strictly Clean and Decent join the schedule this year,” says concerts coordinator, Mark Freed. “I have known these top-notch musicians for several years, and I am so happy to have them coming to the Jones House.”

Buck Haggard Band will follow, bringing the classic country repertoire to the porch. Led by guitar player and band-leader, George Wilson, Buck Haggard Band was formed to fill a needed void for classic country music in the High Country. The band is named for two of the members’ country heroes, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, and they perform songs from that era of country music. Wilson noted that the group originally got together to play just a couple gigs and more engagements took off from there. The band is rounded out by Eddie Maines on keyborads, Greg Russell on drums, Tracy Brown on bass, and Jimmy Cannon on steel guitar. “People who know them love them, and those who have not yet heard Buck Haggard Band will quickly become fans,” says Freed. “They play an era of country music that is just not heard very often from live performing bands. And they do it well.”

“The members in both of these groups are real pros,” says concerts coordinator, Mark Freed. “Both of these bands could be on the national stage if individual day jobs did not keep them tied to the High Country.”

Concerts at the Jones House take place in downtown Boone at 604 W. King St. every Friday from June through September. The free concert starts at 5 p.m., and patrons are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket to sit in the lawn. The 2012 Concert series is sponsored by MPrints, Stickboy Bread/Melanie’s, Footsloggers, Mast General Store, and the Downtown Boone Development Association.

For a complete schedule, visit www.boone-nc.org or call 262-4576 for more information.