In her early 20s, Abigail Washburn lived in the Chinese city of Chengdu. After coming home she heard Doc Watson play "Shady Grove" and immersed herself in American traditional music. A former member of the all-girl old-time group Uncle Earl (and doubtless the spark behind their notorious Kung Fu Clogging video), Abigail has made a real splash with her fresh takes on bluegrass and old-time music, which include songs in Chinese. As a bandleader she assembled an all-star group of musicians that included legendary newgrass innovator Bela Fleck and molded them to fit her vision (gaining Fleck as a husband in the process). Abigail comes to The Ark just back from a China tour and a performance at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, and she's bringing a brand new album, "City of Refuge."