Joel Mabus
In January, 1975, Joel gave the Fiddle's second show, held in Old College Hall at the MSU Union. This will be Joel's 45th solo concert in the Fiddle's 51 seasons of producing shows. Each year, Joel shares his newly penned pieces along with old favorites.
Joel Mabus is a longtime fixture on the American folk music scene. For the many songs he’s written, he’s often pegged as a singer-songwriter. But he doesn’t quite fit that stereotype. Joel’s the son of a 1930’s old-time fiddle champ & a banjo-pickin’ farm girl. He was raised on full-throated Holiness singing on Sundays and old-time bluegrass during the week. And while he’s moved far beyond his small-town coal-town beginnings, he has never forgotten them.
It was the fertile bottom land of Little Egypt: also known as Southern Illinois. Home was just 105 miles southeast of Mark Twain, 190 miles northwest of Bill Monroe, 110 miles due west of Burl Ives and just over the river and up the hill from Scott Joplin.
A National Merit Scholarship sent him to college in Michigan (MSU) in the early 1970’s. It was cultural anthropology & English lit by day – gigs in smoky bars & dim coffeehouses by night. (His first concert for The Ten Pound Fiddle was in 1974.) He went on to tour the foremost folk music stages of North America these past 50 years – the storied folk clubs, festivals and music camps. With insightful songwriting and steadfast renditions of traditional music, his palette ranges from mountain banjo to jazz guitar — from tender reflection to wicked satire.
He’s recorded 28 albums — his first was an LP in 1978. His latest CD is an eccentric and very intimate project – a suite for fingerstyle guitar & voice: 2024’s acclaimed Lonesome Road – songs of the Lost Generation 1924-1928.
Cornell Folk Song Society writes:
Joel Mabus is a free-ranging fretboard genius and funny, deep songwriter whose warm voice, sly humor, and musicianship sweep audiences along for the ride… in a gentle, easy manner, he may lull his audience into a relaxed state, then roll them on the floor with laughter or make them sit up and think.
Vancouver Folk Festival writes:
Joel is one of those quintessentially Midwestern American artists with a style we will always associate with Will Rogers or Mark Twain. And a great sense of humour which compliments, rather than contradicts, some very serious material. Joel can reduce us to tears with a song about the Vietnam War Memorial, “Touch A Name On The Wall,” and then make us laugh hard with a song like “Hitler Was A Vegetarian.” He has perfected the art of being entertaining without pandering, he teaches without lecturing, and does it all with great style.
Kudos:
Best Folk Album of the Year (Naked Truth), WUMB Boston in 1988;
The Detroit Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2000;
International Folk Alliance Region Midwest — Lantern Bearer Award (inaugural) in 2006
Jammie Awards, Grand Rapids MI — Traditions Award & Legacy Award in 2014
Joel Mabus is a longtime fixture on the American folk music scene. For the many songs he’s written, he’s often pegged as a singer-songwriter. But he doesn’t quite fit that stereotype. Joel’s the son of a 1930’s old-time fiddle champ & a banjo-pickin’ farm girl. He was raised on full-throated Holiness singing on Sundays and old-time bluegrass during the week. And while he’s moved far beyond his small-town coal-town beginnings, he has never forgotten them.
It was the fertile bottom land of Little Egypt: also known as Southern Illinois. Home was just 105 miles southeast of Mark Twain, 190 miles northwest of Bill Monroe, 110 miles due west of Burl Ives and just over the river and up the hill from Scott Joplin.
A National Merit Scholarship sent him to college in Michigan (MSU) in the early 1970’s. It was cultural anthropology & English lit by day – gigs in smoky bars & dim coffeehouses by night. (His first concert for The Ten Pound Fiddle was in 1974.) He went on to tour the foremost folk music stages of North America these past 50 years – the storied folk clubs, festivals and music camps. With insightful songwriting and steadfast renditions of traditional music, his palette ranges from mountain banjo to jazz guitar — from tender reflection to wicked satire.
He’s recorded 28 albums — his first was an LP in 1978. His latest CD is an eccentric and very intimate project – a suite for fingerstyle guitar & voice: 2024’s acclaimed Lonesome Road – songs of the Lost Generation 1924-1928.
Cornell Folk Song Society writes:
Joel Mabus is a free-ranging fretboard genius and funny, deep songwriter whose warm voice, sly humor, and musicianship sweep audiences along for the ride… in a gentle, easy manner, he may lull his audience into a relaxed state, then roll them on the floor with laughter or make them sit up and think.
Vancouver Folk Festival writes:
Joel is one of those quintessentially Midwestern American artists with a style we will always associate with Will Rogers or Mark Twain. And a great sense of humour which compliments, rather than contradicts, some very serious material. Joel can reduce us to tears with a song about the Vietnam War Memorial, “Touch A Name On The Wall,” and then make us laugh hard with a song like “Hitler Was A Vegetarian.” He has perfected the art of being entertaining without pandering, he teaches without lecturing, and does it all with great style.
Kudos:
Best Folk Album of the Year (Naked Truth), WUMB Boston in 1988;
The Detroit Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2000;
International Folk Alliance Region Midwest — Lantern Bearer Award (inaugural) in 2006
Jammie Awards, Grand Rapids MI — Traditions Award & Legacy Award in 2014