Multi-instrumental musician, performer, storyteller & traditional music teacher
In Rural Retreat, Virginia, Jim Lloyd works as a barber, is a multi-instrumentalist musician, and storyteller. Some folks call him an exceptionally well rounded performer who showcases many talents on stage, but Jim is most recognized for his extraordinary banjo and guitar playing.
His musical heritage may be traced back at least four generations to Virginia and West Virginia mountain fiddlers, guitarists, dancers, and singers. In 1958 and 1959, his uncle Buddy Pennington performed on banjo with Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys and Jim likes to think of him as a family muse.
The Jim Lloyd Experience, his most recent album, shows the wide range of music that he interprets via his mountain lens. Notable musicians like Doug Watson, traditional ballads, instrumentals, traditional songs from the Ozarks, and original tracks push this rising artist to new heights.
As a musical performer, Lloyd is difficult to categorize. Once, on stage he remarked that he and his barber colleagues were all polymaths in one way or another. That ethos guides Lloyd both on and off the stage. He performs traditional music in fresh and unexpected ways while also staying true to its roots. He demonstrates a deep knowledge of Appalachian music in his performances and on stage he balances humor and humbleness to create a memorable show.
Lloyd also lends his musical voice to a number of community-centered causes, including playing for fundraisers, teaching at traditional music camps, and participating in the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Musical Traditions” project. This oral history initiative documented traditional ballads, found in Grayson, Carroll, Wythe, and Patrick counties, and was archived through the Library of Congress.
Learn more and find his music at JimLloydAppalachianMusician.com or Facebook!