Veteran Detroit performers ROBERT JONES & MATT WATROBA celebrate diversity by digging deep into the American songbook from folk to blues and way beyond! From the Plantations to Motown, to modern pop & hip hop, Jones and Watroba cast a musical spell that takes us through time and the variety of music and harmonies seeded and simmered in the USA - mainly through the use of only three major chords.
A black man and a white man, obviously great friends, on stage together singing and talking about tolerance and respect, brings not just a powerhouse of entertainment but a deeply felt and lived message that resonates with contemporary audiences weary of divisiveness and racial tensions.
Since shortly after their first encounter over 20 years ago Jones and Watroba have been musical partners. They hosted back-to-back radio shows on WDET-FM, Detroit, Watroba doing folk and Jones doing blues. Hired to perform together, they soon forged a friendship based in mutual respect and a love for traditional American music. Since then, they have literally traveled the nation taking listeners on a journey following the evolution of American Roots Music, or "front porch music," or as they call it, music that matters.
For Jones & Watroba, music that matters - the soundtrack to our national experience, from our earliest days to the present - comprises folk, blues, spirituals, work songs and much, more. It has long since traveled beyond our borders to become music that America and the world have in common. But it reflects America's history, social change, migration, influences, hopes and dreams - like America herself, rich and diverse, direct and powerful.
Reverend Robert Jones, Sr. is an inspirational singer, songwriter, storyteller and self-taught award-winning multi-instrumentalist. He plays guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo and fiddle using folk, blues, spirituals and other American Roots music to champion the history, beauty and power of our shared culture. He shares his deep love for traditional African American and American music in live performances that interweave timeless stories with original and traditional songs. At the heart of his message is the belief that our cultural diversity tells a story that should celebrate, not just tolerate.
These two talented musicians together find a rare musical synergy, based in their shared, contagious passion for the enormity of America's musical contributions here and abroad, They establish unequivocally that America's strength lies in her diversity. Join us!
ROBERT JONES + MATT WATROBA
American Roots Music
Tickets: $26 General Admission / $24 Advance / $40 Gold Circle
Location: Addy Theatre at Proctors
“A WONDERFUL AND POWERFUL MESSAGE OF LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, TOLERANCE”