Long Point String Band is an Old-Time Acoustic “Neo-Traditional” outfit from Beckley, West Virginia. The group consists of the virtuosic stylings of Hunter Walker, Brian C. Bell, Lewis Prichard and Lars Swanson. Long Point String Band seamlessly transitions between instrumentation to create unique, yet traditional textures. These textures often vary from minute to minute, song to song and show to show.
Meet the Band Hunter Walker is a decorated dulcimer and clawhammer banjo expert - he has won the WV state mountain dulcimer contest at the Vandalia Gathering 6 times, and the WV state banjo contest twice. He most recently won first prize at the Hammons Family Gathering clawhammer banjo contest. Lewis Prichard has been a staple in the old-time scene for over half a century and performs on mandolin and fiddle. Brian Bell is a first-call veteran guitar player whose rhythmic capabilities are sought after by respected figures in Bluegrass, Old-Time and contemporary pop music genres. Lars Swanson received a masters degree in Jazz Pedagogy in 2020 from West Virginia University, and now serves on the jazz faculty at Marshall University. His unique style has been heard all across the world, from the mountains of West Virginia to the sands of Dubai, playing traditional and jazz music.
Together, these four musicians blend their musical tastes to create a formal style with an informal, joyful feeling in every performance. Repertoire is pulled from old-time and bluegrass genres with an emphasis on regional tunes from southern WV.
This engagement of the Long Point String Band is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
