Grammy-nominated duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley play the ECC Arts Center Sept. 22

Grammy-nominated country duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at the Elgin Community College Arts Center's SecondSpace Theatre, Building H, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

Revered Dobro player Rob Ickes has been a supporter of Trey Hensley since he first heard Hensley's voice - a voice reminiscent of iconic country singers such as George Jones and Merle Haggard. An album engineer played Ickes a scratch vocal featuring Hensley singing one of Ickes' band Blue Highway's songs.

Though they had originally planned to bring in a prominent guest vocalist to sing the song, the band fell in love with the Hensley's rendition and it ended up on the album. Hensley was just 22 at the time. Shortly after, Hensley and his wife relocated to Nashville, and Ickes has been showing him the ropes ever since. The duo released their Grammy-nominated debut album, "Before the Sun Goes Down," in 2014, and a follow-up, "The Country Blues," in 2016. Country music great Marty Stuart says of the duo, "In the ever-changing world of country music, it's comforting to know that the real deal still exists."

Trey Hensley began playing guitar and singing when he was 10 years old. Invited by Marty Stuart and joined from the wings by Earl Scruggs, Hensley landed on the Grand Old Opry stage when he was only 11. Hensley has played with Johnny and June Carter Cash, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, The Oak Ridge Boys and Janie Fricke. He has appeared on bills with Sara Evans and Peter Frampton.

Rob Ickes has been playing bluegrass with his much-decorated band Blue Highway for over 20 years. He has been awarded Dobro Player of the Year a record fifteen times by the International Bluegrass Association. He has played on countless sessions, recording with artists such as Merle Haggard, Dierks Bentley, Patty Loveless, and Alison Krauss.

Tickets to Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley are $30.

A preshow dinner prepared by ECC's award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program can be purchased for an additional $29. The menu features a starter of garden salad with vinaigrette, an entree of roasted salmon with Kalamata olive and tomato tapenade accompanied by wild rice pilaf and assorted roasted vegetables, and a dessert of vanilla sponge cake with a lemon mousse bomb. Wine and beer are sold separately by the glass. Dinners must be ordered on or before Monday, Sept. 18.

Tickets are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted.

The ECC Arts Center can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eccartscenter and on Twitter @ECCArtsCenter.