Tui - Pretty Little Mister Music CD

TUI is an internationally touring old-time duo made up of Jake Blount and Libby Weitnauer. Blount hails from the District of Columbia; Weitnauer, from Maryville, TN. Both spent most of their lives on other genres of music, before moving away from home taught them a deeper appreciation for their roots. Blount is now an award-winning scholar and performer of Black string band music, specializing in the music of his family and forebears. Weitnauer is a versatile fiddler and singer known for the rhythmic complexity and precision of her playing. TUI works with traditional songs and instrumental tunes gleaned from archival recordings, at times paying strict tribute to bygone musicians and at others reinterpreting the music through a contemporary lens. The album pinpoints the intersections between the duo's musical and cultural experiences, incorporating songs from Black and white musicians, from each musician's hometown, and from other locales ranging from Virginia to Texas. They're all presented as stripped-down duets for fiddle, banjo and voice, no less gritty and soulful for their intimacy. Pretty Little Mister is a testament to the exquisiteness of tradition, and to the power of youth.