Canceled - Jeni & Billy concert

Unfortunately, this event has been canceled because Jeni and Billy's vehicle has broken down. We'll let you know when we're able to reschedule.

Sharing the duties of songwriting, arranging, and performing, Jeni & Billy bring to the work very distinct musical backgrounds that both draw from the deep well of Appalachian roots music.

Jeni & Billy met in the spring of 2005 when Jeni recorded at Billy’s Maryland studio. Within months they began writing and performing together. In 2006, they pressed a six-song EP, Sweet & Toxic, which was praised for its pure vocals, excellent instrumental work, and heartbreaking tales of tragic love.

In the fall of 2008, Jeni & Billy released their first full-length recording project, Jewell Ridge Coal -- a love letter to the forgotten coal mining community in Southwest Virginia where Jeni grew up. Debuting at Number 5 on the International Folk & Bluegrass DJ Chart, Jewell Ridge Coal appeared on top ten lists from LA to New York to Belfast. Ralph McLean of BBC Northern Ireland writes, “These guys understand the magic of understatement and the pure, unadulterated simplicity that flows through all great American roots music” -- a sentiment echoed by fans, colleagues, and fellow musicians, from folk icon John McCutcheon to United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts, who asked Jeni & Billy to perform at his inauguration.

"I found Jeni & Billy's second album Jewell Ridge Coal to be like Billy Elliot meets the Mamas and the Papas meets Dolly Parton. A little bit bluegrass, a little bit folk, and all original, the music feels simultaneously familiar and completely new. Their combination creates this powerful and unique flavor, and they sound so natural together, it feels calming and clear. Its as if you were there sitting on a back porch in old-timey South and they were right there with you and just stumbled upon some instruments." - Nicole Levitz - Feminist Review (Mar 12, 2009)

"A sweet and surprising high point [of the Beverley Folk Festival] was the Appalachian duo Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp. Singing songs from the Southwest Virginia coal mines, the pair melted hearts with songs like Tazewell Beauty Queen and Back Then, a heartbreaking tale of tragic love. Jeni Hankins' smile-infused Mother Maybelle voice was . . . perfect." - Hazel Davis - Maverick Magazine (Aug 1, 2009)