BLUES GUITARIST ERNIE HAWKINS
AT CENTENARY STAGE

Ernie Hawkins will bring the soulful sounds of the Mississippi Delta and beyond to Hackettstown on Saturday, April 17th at 8 PM.

A student of the Piedmont fingerpicking bluesman, Reverand Gary Davis, Hawkins describes his own style as "Piedmont to Texas fingerpicking, blues-ragtime-country" music, with a rich legacy of styles, songs and blues arcana dating back to the turn of the last century. His performance is infused with the influences of such legendary figures as Blind Blake, Skip James, Son House, Blind Willi McTell, Texas "Dead Thumb" guitarist Manse Lipscomb, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. His music follows a fingerpicking journey from Piedmont styles to the ragtime traditions that were popular in the Middle Atlantic States during the '20's and '30's. Hawkins has appeared on "Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keilor, "Mountain Stage" and XM Radio, and has toured extensively in Japan and Europe, where he won the highest rating from Concerto Vienna (Five Stars), who stated "There are people who can do nothing wrong. Ernie Hawkins seems to be one of them. Whether fingerpicking, slide or ragtime, [Hawkins] delivers warmth and his vocals stick in the ear, leaving remembrance of the Mississippi Delta."

"In the summer after 11th grade, I had $35," Hawkins relates, " and I hitchhiked down to Georgia to try to find Blind Willie McTell." One of a handful fortunate to have studied with the old masters, he now serves as a master to other aspiring musicians, and is in demand worldwide as a teacher. A special afternoon guitar workshop with the artist will be offered by CSC, and it is open to the public, beginning at 3 PM. The fee for the workshop is $10, which may be deducted from the price of the ticket for the evening’s performance. Advance Reservations are required for the workshop.

This performance by Ernie Hawkins is made possible in part through a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts On Tour, a program developed and funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment.

All performances at the Centenary Stage Company are made possible through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC members and sponsors.

Tickets
Tickets for Ernie Hawkins in concert are $20 for adults and $17.50 for seniors and students, and they can be purchased through the Centenary Stage Company box office at 908-979-0900, and using our Secure Online Ticketing System. Locally, tickets may also be purchased at Green’s Beans (Greene Brothers Specialty Coffee Roasters- the official café d’atelier of the Centenary Stage Company) at 313 High Street in Hackettstown.

Lackland Performing Arts Center

Lackland Performing Arts Center scheduled for    completion in 2010

The Centenary Stage Company and all it’s programs will find a new home with construction the Carol and David Lackland Center, scheduled for completion in Spring, 2010. With a 22,000-square-foot performance space, the facility is destined to become the most sophisticated performing arts venues in northwest New Jersey. The center will include a 500-seat theatre, a black box theater, a dance studio, scene shop, a costume shop, green room and dressing rooms. In addition to housing the theatre, the 68K square foot Lackland Center will be a home for a variety of cultural activity, and will include WNTI, the College’s listener-supported public radio station, CCTV, Centenary’s Comcast-licensed television studio, and gallery space for visual artists.

Named in honor of Carol Burgess Lackland, A Centenary graduate (Class of 1954), and her husband, David A. Lackland, a Centenary College Trustee, The David and Carol Lackland Center, has been designed to enrich student life and bring new cultural opportunities to northwest New Jersey.   ...more (including photos, progress reports, and 'Tour Lackland with Carl')

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Revised: December 23, 2008
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