I have been privileged to see Dom Flemons, also known as the American Songster, many times and he always delivers a great performance so I did not hesitate to make the drive to Common Fence Music to see him.

Dom Flemons

I think of Dom as an ethnomusicologist; his knowledge of African-American music and its history is encyclopedic. He obviously enjoys imparting that to his audiences and I believe we come enjoys learning that rich history.

Dom Flemons

Dom had recorded an album of Black cowboy songs that will be released early next year and he treated us to a number of songs that will appear on the album. There is a rich history of Black cowboys and I look forward to getting that album!

Dom Flemons

Dom is a multi-instrumentalist and began the show playing the bones. He is a master of the bones and it was an excellent way to begin the show. There were many people in the audience who had never seen Dom perform and the bones completely enthralled them.

Dom Flemons

His other instruments include banjo, guitar, quills, harmonica, and dobro. I do not think I had seen Dom play dobro; it is one of my favorite instruments and I am happy he added it to his repertoire.

Dom Flemons

He gave an introduction to each song, either why he wrote it, how he discovered it, or something about the songwriter.  One of my favorite songs is “Hot Chicken” which he wrote about the amazing hot chicken that originated in Nashville.  I have some (from the original location of Bolton’s) every time I’m in Nashville and can taste it when Dom seems the song!

Dom Flemons

The two sets included songs from each of his three albums to date plus his upcoming album. Some of the songs were “But They Got It Fixed Right On”, “Too Long I’ve Been Gone”, “Ol’ Cindy Gal”,  and “Have I Stayed Away Too Long?”.

Dom Flemons

Despite seeing many of his performances (including the two he mentioned – the Lead Belly tribute at Carnegie Hall and the Music Maker Relief Foundation showcase at Newport Folk Festival), I will gladly see him again and again because he makes each show fresh. He is also one of the most expressive musicians I know.

Dom Flemons

Dom made many new fans this night. If you have never seen him perform (on his own), do yourselves a favor and see him when he appears in a city near you. He is one of the most engaging performers making music today.

Ticket courtesy of Dom Flemons; all opinions are my own.