Ben Wright, founding member of Chicago based bluegrass band, Henhouse Prowlers, joined me on NineVoltHeart. We talked about the history of bluegrass in the Chicago area, his first banjo purchase, his current band, and their local appearance at Northampton’s Parlor Room on Dec 16.

The band is committed to a global approach to spreading the bluegrass message; having toured extensively world-wide, initially as part of the State Department program but continued exploring cultural diplomacy as a band. Congo, Liberia, Niger began the journey but Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia have been destinations. The band will be heading a workshop called “Music as Diplomacy; Cultural Ambassadorship Around The World and At Home”. This workshop will precede the concert on Saturday.

The band’s sound is traditional but their songs reveal a broader more progressive message. Songs about world politics and gun violence sit side by side with tunes from the road warrior experience. They have recently signed with Tn.-based Dark Shadows Recording and have released an excellent album called “Lead and Iron”. Our segment began with “Subscription To Loneliness” and ends with Ben Wright’s composition, “Forgotten Gravestones”. We add the title cut ,”Lead and Iron” to the encore part of the segment.

Ticket info at Parlor Room.org