The Red Clay Ramblers

Renowned for authenticity among string band revival ensembles, the Red Clay Ramblers fused longstanding Appalachian folk traditions with original modern works and navigated multiple genres so adeptly and persuasively that they stood for years among the foremost contemporary interpreters of the style. Chapel Hill, NC-based, the five-piece lineup featured Tommy Thompson (banjo, vocals), Jim Watson (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Mike Craver (piano, harmonium, vocals), Jack Herrick (bouzouki, guitar, harmonica, bass, cello, flute, harmonium, vocals), and Clay Buckner (fiddle, harmonica, vocals). Their broadest exposure arrived through scoring and appearing in off-Broadway productions, highlighted by the widely praised album containing their music for Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind.