Seeing Fife & Drom at the Extended Play Sessions two weeks ago gave me something I was not expecting – no fifes but lots of drums!

Fife & Drom

This is a blues band, but their style is quite different from most blues bands I have heard. Not only that, but this was the first time I have seen an autoharp plugged into an amplifier!

Abby Ahmad

Fife & Drom’s style derives from Chicago and Delta blues, but they have taken those traditional sounds and morphed them into music that is fresh.

Abby

Their influences come from some of the most traditional bluesmen of the past – Muddy Waters, Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, and Jimmy Reed.

Mark Marshall

Husband and wife team Mark Marshall on guitar and Abby Ahmad on vocals and autoharp founded the band about seven years ago and have been joined by Sean Dixon on drums and Adam Minkoff on bass.

Abby

Mark

Adam Minkoff

Sean Dixon

Abby is an extremely expressive singer who puts her heart into every word; it is easy to feel that she understands the blues deep in her soul.

Abby

Fife & Drom researches the roots of the music they play, in much the same way that Dom Flemons and Carolina Chocolate Drops do, and they enjoyed imparting their knowledge to the audience during the question and answer period after the show.

Abby and Adam

This was an evening of wonderful music at the Extended Play Sessions. I can still feel the drums beating!