via Shorefire
American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) are on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of roots music. Bringing unique perspectives from throughout the country’s cross-cultural landscape, APQ comes from two-time GRAMMY winner Clay Ross (Best Regional Roots Album; 2020 and 2022), GRAMMY-winning vocalist Falu (the first female singer-songwriter from India to win the award), go-to jazz bassist Yasushi Nakamura (Cecile McLorin Salvant, Joe Lovano, Kurt Elling) and drummer Clarence Penn (whose played on two GRAMMY-winning records, won a Juno Award and was mentored by Ellis Marsalis). Together they celebrate America’s musical traditions, while taking a fresh look at what it means to be “traditionally American” in the first place. On the group’s upcoming self-titled debut album (out February 9), they reinterpret folk songs synonymous with the American experience by incorporating their own American voices – which, in many cases, are voices that wouldn’t have been incorporated when these centuries-old songs were first popularized.
Today, they have shared the first look at American Patchwork Quartet via their version of “Beneath The Willow” – featuring singing from Falu, an eleventh-generation classical Hindustani vocalist who immigrated to the US as a young person. Listening to Falu’s traditional Indian vocal work enrich a Southern folk classic – known for versions by The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie and Doc Watson – truly brings the project’s mission to the forefront.