Little is well known throughout the United States having performed on countless national stages as well as internationally. He also is Catawba’s Chair of the Music Department, Director of the Music Business Program, and Artist in Residence in Popular Music. In lieu of ticket sales, donations will be accepted to support Catawba’s Music Department.
Little is an award-winning musician from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. He grew up in and around his family’s music shop and was influenced at an early age by a number of local musicians including the late Doc Watson. With few exceptions, the piano does not play a prominent role in Americana or Appalachian music and is rarely the lead instrument. But his music is one of those rare exceptions. Little has not only been recognized as a critically acclaimed musician but also a true music innovator. His two-handed style of playing, influenced by the mountain flat-picked guitar tradition, is breathtaking. He has been featured on National Public Radio and PBS many times. In 2014, Little was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
The Jeff Little Trio also includes Steve Lewis and Luke Little. Lewis is an award-winning guitar and banjo player from Todd, NC, and is one of the most respected acoustic musicians in the country. He has won many competitions and is well known throughout the entertainment circuit for his mastery of the five-string banjo and flat picking on guitar. He has often performed at the Walnut Valley Nationals, the Galax Old Time Fiddlers Convention, Renofest, Merelfest, and the Wayne Henderson Guitar Competition. Lewis is also a two-time national champion on the banjo. Luke Little is a young and talented mandolin player whose musicianship and style expand well beyond his years. He started on the mandolin at age 15 and has since won many competition ribbons, including first place at the Ashe Fiddlers Convention in 2018.
Jeff and his trio travel the country performing with an energy and dedication to their music that is evident at every show. The trio has played at The Smithsonian Institution, the National Folk Festival, American Piano Masters, The Barns of Wolf Trap, and many theaters, performing arts centers, and festivals.
