Oral historian Erin Derham discovers a subculture of artists sharing select spaces in downtown Asheville, North Carolina to awaken passersby to musical traditions across space and time. On one corner, a stride pianist bangs a chord out with his elbow to deliver the sounds of Prohibition-Era jazz. On another, a lady runs a pair of antique spoons down her fingers in a centuries-old fashion kept alive almost exclusively by her, setting the rhythm for an Irish Folk Quartet. Across the street, the sounds of ancient India are heard from a man hypnotizing crowds with a didgeridoo, hang drum, and throat singing. Buskers come from as far as Europe and Asia to play, learn, and receive the famous hospitality of the American South. Staying true to that reputation, these exceptional talents whose music is never ignored but whose faces are often forgotten, allow Derham a rare and intimate glimpse into their lives which will confront everything you've ever thought about the people who bring music to our streets. Filled with passionate live performances, arresting personal insights, hilarious stories from the street, and tender moments between total strangers, Derham illuminates the culture and personalities that dare to destroy the invisible barriers we set between ourselves and our streets: “Buskin’ Blues.”doc
