The Monitors are a versatile and talented group from eastern North Carolina that have been playing under the leadership of saxophonist Bill Myers for over 50 years. But did you know that their very first vocalist was four-time Grammy winner Roberta Flack?

Roberta met the group while working as a music and English teacher in a nearby town. The Monitors perform during Week Two of the Folklife Festival.

Tucker Foltz is a program intern for the Rhythm and Blues program of the 2011 Folklife Festival.