Timeless American folk songs reimagined through a global lens by a powerhouse quartet of GRAMMY®-winning artists.
Led by multi-GRAMMY® award-winning guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross, American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) binds the soul of timeless American folk songs with jazz sophistication, country twang, West African grooves, and East Asian ornamentation. Their debut recording was recently nominated for Best Folk Album at the 67th GRAMMY® Awards, cementing their place as one of today’s most compelling cross-cultural ensembles.
Ross — a southern-born roots music aficionado and founder of the world-renowned Gullah group Ranky Tanky — is joined by three equally celebrated artists: Falu (Falguni Shah), an eleventh-generation Hindustani classical vocalist; Moto Fukushima, an internationally acclaimed Issei jazz bassist; and Clarence Penn, a drumming protégé of Ellis Marsalis whose playing is deeply rooted in African American church traditions.
APQ is a potent symbol of unity in diversity, weaving together America’s cultural mosaic into music that is both intricate and resilient. Each performance invites audiences to reflect on shared identity and to relish in the musical threads that bind us — a carefully crafted quilt of sound that is at once warm, dynamic, and timeless.
Tickets:
General Admission: $15
FREE for Students & Children (reservation still required)
Questions? Email
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This project is supported in part by Creative West which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The 2025/26 UC Merced Arts Season is sponsored by UC Merced's Division of Equity, Justice, & Inclusive Excellence (EJIE)(opens in a new tab).
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