Ebony Hillbillies play at Centenary Stage Co.

Despite the apparent oxymoron in their name, the Ebony Hillbillies are no joke.

The African-American quintet from New York City specializes in a rootsy sound that carries echoes of country and bluegrass – two genres sometimes assumed to the province of white artists – as well as the blues, jazz, and R&B.

The group is trying to revive the tradition of the African-American string band, a type of ensemble that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and actually has roots in the 19th Century.

But violinist and vocalist Henrique Prince insists there is nothing scholarly or stuffy about the Ebony Hillbillies in concert.

“Our music is up and joyful,” says Prince, who co-founded the group with banjo player Norris Bennett more than 20 years ago. “We love it when people get up and dance.”

The Ebony Hillbillies will perform in a concert sponsored by the Centenary Stage Co. in Hackettstown this Saturday, Feb. 7.

Prince says that he and Bennett (who also sings and plays mountain dulcimer and guitar) started the Ebony Hillbillies as an outgrowth of session work they had been doing since 1970s.

“I had been playing violin for a long time,” says Prince. “I had been playing American folk music and traditional black tunes. I realized that this was what I wanted to do. This was the music I was meant to play.”

Prince points out that the string band – which also includes acoustic bass and guitar, as well as such percussion instruments as washboard and spoons – served as an important but often-overlooked link in 20th Century American popular music.

Acts such as the Memphis Sheiks and the Mississippi Sheiks had a direct impact on country music, he says. String bands also are clearly part of the spectrum that includes Bill Monroe and the early bluegrass bands.

Prince adds that popular music also shows the influence of the white and black cultures of such regions as southern Louisiana, the Carolinas, and Appalachia, to say nothing of the music of Scottish and German immigrants.

The Ebony Hillbillies seeks to pay tribute to that rich legacy, while still pointing the future.

Their set lists include such traditional tunes as “Cotton Eyed Joe” and seminal works of Americana, including Stephen Foster’s “Oh Susanna.” But they also offer quirky covers, such as their distinctive take on Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.”

“We may fool around by doing modern pop songs,” says Prince. “But most of what we do comes from the string band era. The main thing is that it has to be danceable and enjoyable music.”

The current line-up has one veteran songwriter: bassist William Salter, whose credits include “Just the Two of Us” (a hit for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bill Withers) and the Roberta Flack-Donny Hathaway song “Where Is the Love?”

Salter’s pop credits seem far removed from the Ebony Hillbillies’ sound. “But Bill is fascinated by it,” Prince says. “He’s written so many pop songs that he finds what we do interesting. As with everything he does, he puts his heart into playing with us.”

Prince adds that Salter’s bass work is crucial. “The bass is the real bottom of the band,” he says. “We have the violin on top, and the banjo provides the rhythm.”

The goal of the Ebony Hillbillies is to get audiences to appreciate music that in unplugged and honest, according to Prince.

“For African-Americans, the string band was a way to create a joyful sound. There was no TV or radio, and they usually didn’t travel. This was their release. We’re trying to share that joy with audiences today.”

EBONY HILLBILLIES

WHAT: This New York-based ensemble offers a modern spin on the African-American string band tradition of the 19th Century. The songs include folk and bluegrass standards, and the instrumental line-up features fiddle, banjo, mountain dulcimer, guitar, acoustic bass and washboard.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7

WHERE: David and Carol Lackland Center, Centenary College, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown.

TICKETS: $22.50 for adults and $15 for children under age 12 (advance); $27.50 for adults and $20 for children under age 12 (day of show).

INFORMATION: 908-979-0900 or www.centenarystageco.org.