Artist description Lea Coryell--usually accompanied by his clawhammer banjo playing--sings and plays a variety of acoustic folk music. Well steeped in traditional singing and playing styles, Coryell brings a wry, subtle touch to his material, whether performing traditional songs and tunes from the Appalachians, sea chanteys, americana, old-time country, or contemporary. Lea has performed music since 1985, mostly in Northern Virginia and around the greater Washington D.C. area. He performs as a solo folk singer and in a duo with Arlington-based singer/songwriter Joan Kennedy. For ten years he was a member of the band Red Leaf (with Joan Kennedy, Dennis Doyle, and Martha Doyle) and sometimes with The Wagon Road Singers (with Ralph Lee Smith and Koyuki Smith). Lea began playing folk music in the early 1970s. His musical influences are many and varied. "I would include anyone who inspired me to try," he says. "A lot of the music I do comes from people who work with their hands for a living--I identify with that." Lea is originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio and now lives in Herndon, Virginia. Cornbread & Rum is his first solo release. Cornbread & Rum (CD, released 2001). Recorded, edited, mixed, and mastered by Bill McElroy at Bias Recording Co. (Springfield, Va.) and Slipped Disc (Richmond, Va.). Lea Coryell (lead vocal, clawhammer banjo, guitar, and harmonica), Joan Kennedy (vocal and guitar), Ralph Lee Smith (dulcimer and harmonica), Don Stallone (vocal, concertina, melodeon, bones, forks), Dennis Doyle (vocal and guitar), Martha Doyle (vocal), Bob Dagostaro (fiddle), and John Gorozdos (vocal and tin whistle). For more information visit Lea's website.

Music Style Traditional and traditionalized folk/acoustic, Americana.

Musical Influences Joe Hickerson, Ralph Lee Smith, Sheila Kay Adams, Cliff Haslam, Bob Carlin, Mike Seeger, Tommy Jarrell, Norman Blake, and many others

Instruments clawhammer banjo, guitar, harmonica

Albums Cornbread & Rum

Location Herndon, Virginia - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).