Phil Wiggins & Hubby Jenkins – “Stop and Listen” (2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival)

In July 2023, the revered blues harmonica player Phil Wiggins, accompanied by guitarist Hubby Jenkins, performed in the final concert of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building, the performers paid tribute to 75 years of Folkways Records. Now we pay tribute to Wiggins, who passed away on May 7, 2024. He had been a nearly lifelong supporter and participant at the Folklife Festival, going back to his teen years in the 1970s. He performed in the early years with singer and guitarist Flora Molton and numerous times with his longtime musical partner, the Piedmont blues guitarist John Cephas. In his last Festival appearance, he reveled in playing for a hometown crowd. Cameras: Rameshwar Bhatt, Nadya Ellerhorst, Eve Moore, Elliot Senatov Editor: Charlie Weber Catalog No. CFV11723; © Smithsonian Institution, 2024