Abigail Washburn ’99 and her husband Béla Fleck won a Grammy for Best Folk Album for their album “Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn.”
Washburn and Fleck are both skilled banjo players; Fleck has won 13 Grammys in various categories. In their nominated album, they rehash old tunes and feature original songs employing only their banjos and their voices. It is the second time they have collaborated on an album, and Washburn has stated it won’t be the last. The couple were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning News.
Washburn, who graduated as Colorado College’s first East Asian studies major, was the 2012 Commencement speaker. She has been creating music since graduation, exemplifying musical innovation in her fusion of Americana and old-time music with electronica, Chinese folk music, and rock.
Her modern take on old bluegrass is clear in her nominated reworking of the Doc Watson rural blues tune “And Am I Born to Die,” where her throaty vocals replace Doc Watson’s subtle ones. She also is known for her music diplomacy work in China that earned her the title of TED Fellow in 2012.
