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Music in the blood

Music is in the Abrams Brothers blood. Brothers John, 21, and James, 18, along with their cousin Elijah, 21, make up the trio that is the Abrams Brothers, a bluegrass band hailing from Kingston, Ont.
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The Abrams Brothers bring their bluegrass sound to the Finlandia Club on Oct. 25. (Submitted photo)

Music is in the Abrams Brothers blood.

Brothers John, 21, and James, 18, along with their cousin Elijah, 21, make up the trio that is the Abrams Brothers, a bluegrass band hailing from Kingston, Ont. The boys are making their way across Canada, with a stop at the Finlandia Club in Thunder Bay on Oct. 25.

While they are a youthful act, the Abrams Brothers are no strangers to the road. They are the fourth generation of the Abrams family taking their music on tour and are even the youngest Canadians to play on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

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“It started back with our great-grandparents, who were a touring gospel duo,” said John Abrams. “It passed down through our grandparents and our dad and to us.”

John plays guitar, James the fiddle and Elijah the bass, with both brothers doing vocals. John and James have been on the road for 10 years as the Abrams Brothers and Elijah joined them five years ago.

Music is a deeply-rooted tradition in their family and John said they often find themselves sitting in the family farm’s living room after dinner jamming together, singing old-time songs and gospel hymns.

“Music has been a wonderful bonding glue in our family,” he said.

The brothers have always been attracted to bluegrass music. Not only is it a family tradition, but John said they are attracted to the authenticity of the style and are fascinated with the history of the genre, which emerged in the 1930s as a fusion of African American blues and jazz with traditional music from Scottish, Irish and British immigrants in the Appalachian region of the U.S.

“We’re fascinated with how articulate the music is, how involved it is to play,” John said. “That coupled with our love for many different styles, it makes sense for us as we’re molding our roots in bluegrass with more contemporary styles to create Abrams Brothers music if you will.”

Their own style is what John would call bluegrass-rock, and it can be heard on their latest album, Northern Redemption. Their fourth release, the album is the first to feature original songs written by the brothers but also features a cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, which is a prime example of how the Abrams blend bluegrass with modern rock.

But Coldplay isn’t the only contemporary artist the Abrams Brothers have tackled. They have unplugged covers of Katy Perry’s hit song E.T. and YouTube sensation Rebecca Black’s Friday posted on their own YouTube channel.

The cover tunes are a way to have fun, said John, adding they want to show how bluegrass is adaptable, malleable within a modern context. They are also part of the brothers’ Say No to Auto-Tune series – unplugged performances of top 40 hits and their own songs from Northern Redemption.

The series is a way for the Abrams to show they appreciate real music.

“When I say real music I mean music that not just flash in the pan; it’s not just something that’s created on a computer in a room somewhere,” he said. “It’s something that’s realized. It’s something that’s played. It’s something that’s living.”

“It’s something that can really communicate with people in a way beyond a quick fix good feeling, but something much deeper than that,” he added.

 

 





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