Kruger Brothers bring unique sound to Old Fort

Credit: Contributed

The Kruger Brothers will perform free in Old Fort Saturday evening.

By Mike Conley
Published: August 20, 2009

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The Kruger Brothers will wrap up the summer series of free concerts with a Saturday evening performance in the Old Fort Elementary School auditorium.
The show starts at 7 p.m. It is the last in a series of free summer concerts offered by the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center in Old Fort. The title of the series is Blue Ridge Traditions.
Born in Switzerland, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger have been performing professionally since 1973. The brothers started out playing throughout Europe in various venues. Uwe plays the guitar while Jens is on banjo. The brothers later added bassist Joel Landsberg to their group. Together, the three musicians formed the acoustic trio known as the Kruger Brothers.
"Their virtuoso playing combined with the manner in which they interact with each other and with their audience makes their music uniquely special," reads their Web site. "The Kruger Brothers' musical style defies definition, encompassing all styles of music through their personal individual development, classical European musical influences, and love of the American spirit. Combine it all together and the result is what can only be described as new American music."
Since 1997, the Kruger Brothers have appeared regularly in the United States at numerous bluegrass and acoustic music festivals which include such events as Merlefest, Doc Watson Music Fest, Wayne Henderson Festival, Walnut Valley Festival, Greyfox, Festival of the Bluegrass, Wings and Strings and the International Bluegrass Music Association. They have performed with many well-known artists, including Willie Nelson, Bela Fleck, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Gillian Welch, Nickel Creek, Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, Alison Brown, Vince Gill and others.
"It's unreal what they do with a banjo and a guitar," said Terrell Finley, administrator of the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center.
The Kruger Brothers moved to North Carolina permanently in the fall of 2003. In June 2007, they performed with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra to present the world premiere of "Music from the Spring: A Romantic Serenade for Banjo, Guitar, Bass & Orchestra." Jens wrote the orchestral score for this world premiere, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. The concert was recorded for a DVD, according to their Web site.
Seating for the concert will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Before the show starts, folks will be able to check out craft demonstrations activities from 2 to 6 p.m. The Mountain Glory Quilters Guild will be at the museum's front porch while Donald Duncan will demonstrate his wood carving.
"It looks like we will have a packed house," said Finley. "It has been a successful series. I am really appreciative of the county school system allowing us to use the auditorium. We had a lot of community support."
He added that Principal Charles Gaffigan and teacher Terry Wilson have been helpful with the use of Old Fort Elementary's auditorium.