your favourite banjo player

Subject: your favourite banjo player
From: number 6
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:26 PM

This is a post to express some accolades for your favourite banjo players.

My hat goes off to John Hartford!

sIx

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:35 PM

Art Thieme!

Enough style and class to be a first rate player - enough simplicity and taste to be interesting and NOT flashy.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: number 6
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:38 PM

Jed ... I've never had the pleasure of hearing Art. What you expressed are the same reasons I like the late John Hartford. That is one problem with the banjo, too many players get wrapped up in the flashy, shredding in the playing.

sIx

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:41 PM

I must admit, I love John Hartford too.

Art is a bit more earthy - and it suits his music beautifully.

John has the very refined gift of making the complex sound smooth.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:44 PM

I always loved Derrol Adams banjo style.
Giok

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: number 6
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:44 PM

"John has the very refined gift of making the complex sound smooth".

Exactly ... well said Jed!

thanks,
sIx

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:45 PM

Barney McKenna of the Dubliners.
That said, I love any banjo played well.

Allen

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: jimmyt
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:52 PM

coolhand tom! without a doubt, my favorite banjo player in Devon.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:59 PM

Being an old Jazz man , I am not really in to these bluegrassy/folkie banjos players so I will opt for Arie Ligthart ( Dutch Swing College) and Harper Goff ( Firehouse Five). Just wish I could play Jazz banjo properly !

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:02 PM

I have said this before. When Jed Marum plays his banjo (or guitar, for that matter) I feel as if I am intruding on a very private moment. He makes love to it. And the banjo responds lovingly.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: fat B****rd
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:03 PM

Being a rock'n'roller/jazzer/ rhythm'n'blueser I'm not that familiar with banjo pickers, but I thought the bloke who played on the Deliverance soundtrack was pretty good. David Weissberg ??

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Megan L
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:04 PM

my dad, to be honest he was probably a pretty rough player but kids are allowed to think thier dad was the greatest.

Hes gone now and after so long even the memories are bgining to fade but heck tune her up and one last tune.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:19 PM

I'd add Tommy Keenan, the great Paddy's late brother to the list.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Mooh
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:41 PM

That would be Bela Fleck. Pretty cool multiple genre 5 string player.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: thespionage
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:44 PM

Dave Sear.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: GUEST,Sam Pirt
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:51 PM

Bela Fleck, the guy is a genius!!!

Sam

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: pdq
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 04:55 PM

Bob Yellin from the Greenbriar Boys. He has not recorded much since 1966, but still sounds more advanced than most of the "progresive" banjo players.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: GUEST,khandu
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 05:32 PM

Earl Scruggs. John McEuen. Two great musicians who also have some damned fine son musicians.

k

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 05:34 PM

Geoff Freed playing classical stuff on Black-tie Banjo, Paul Trenwith (Hamilton County Bluegrass Band) for Scuggs style but Tony Ellis for quiet, Appalachian tunes and songs. It depends on your mood at the time, I guess.
Robyn

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Mark Ross
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 06:15 PM

It was Eric Weissberg who recorded DUELING BANJOS for the movie Deliverance. Steve Wade gets my vote as my favorite Banjo player, although he's still alive(at least I talked to him the other day).
But my all time favorite is still Uncle Dave Macon.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 06:47 PM

For a real banjo treat, click HERE to read about and listen to Michael J. Miles, in Chicagoland.

He's a clawhammerer, not a Bluegrasser, but you wouldn't believe what he can do--not only with folk music, but with classical music like some of the most rarefied Bach, and his own "classical" compositions. You can listen--and I really recommend that you do--to his Live-Recorded Kennedy Center concert.

He blows me away whenever I return to listen to him.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 06:57 PM

Charlie Poole, thank you. You could set your watch by his timing.

Jerry

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: GUEST,Vega Gibson
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:15 PM

For bluegrass, I'd have to say J.D. Crowe is my fave. Bill Keith, Eric Weissberg and Bob Yellin are just about as good.

John Hartford was a great player but what I loved about him was the way his music was so quirky, whether he was playing banjo, guitar or fiddle.

From an all around technical standpoint, the best is probably Tony Trischka, the guy who taught Bela Fleck much of what he knows.

The banjo player I listen to more than anyone, though, is Pete Seeger. He's probably underrated when we think of who the best is, but he's probably influenced more people than anyone to play the banjo.

I learned how to play from his book, How To Play The 5-String Banjo. So, for that matter, did Tony Trischka.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:16 PM

For current banjo players, Cathy Barton of Boonville, Missourri has to be my favorite. She's a clean picker with nary a note too many.

Jerry

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Mappa Mundi
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:16 PM

The BIG Banjo player from;- "Bluegrass etc", Stunning!!!! (Ironbridge 1996 vid)(get/borrow it if you can) their guitarist has 21 fingers on his left hand - well, it SOUNDS as though he does!

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:48 PM

I always liked Pete Seeger. Very versatile and intelligent

I used to wonder why more of the techniques he used you didn't hear many other people use.

That 6/8 thing he used to do the Irish Washerwoman with - you never actually hear an Irish band use that although it sounds very good.

That version of Blue Skies on the Goofing Off Suite - you don't hear many people do that.

Finally I loved his understanding of accompaniment - all that fretless slidey stuff.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Mooh
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:58 PM

More lately I've enjoyed clawhammer, Ken Perlman, Chris Coole, Arnie Naiman. I love bluegrass, but bluegrass banjo doesn't turn me on as much as clawhammer.

Hugely maligned instrument in my opinion.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Frankham
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 08:01 PM

There are so many. Some who have not been mentioned yet:

Reed Martin.
A great innovative and creative clawhammer player from Cabin John Maryland.

Perry Bechtel
was a great plectrum player from Georgia.

Buddy Wachter
Accomplished plectrum and tenor banjo virtuoso.

Cynthia Sayer
Plectrum banjo player from New York City

Elmer Snowden
A great jazz banjo player who lead the original Washingtonians before they were taken over by Duke Ellington

Don Vappie
A great jazz banjo revivalist.

Erik Darling
True Religion on Vanguard records

Laura Boosinger
A great revivalist OT player

Barney McKenna has been mentioned but there is
Gerry O'Connor for Irish.

Johnny St. Cyr
Jazz banjoist with the Hot Five and Louis Armstrong

Lawrence Moreiro
Trad jazz banjoist with Bunk Johnson

Billy Faier
A legend among banjo players

Bill Keith
Innovative bluegrass player who adatped a "conjunct melody" style of playing.

David Holt
Traditional revivalist for OT

Taj Mahal
A great traditional revivalist with a unique sound.
Check out the score for the movie "Sounder".

George Grove
Tasteful player with the new Kingston Trio.

Dave Guard
Was innovative with the Kingston Trio

Fleming Brown
Traditional revivalist from Chicago and the mentor for
Stephen Wade

Frank Lee
Traditional revivalist with the Freight Hoppers

Barry Hall from Canada

Mike Pinagtore
Tenor banjoist with Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Harry Reser
Tenor solist with the Cliquot Eskimos

Van Eps and Ossman
A great duo from the early nineteen hundreds who
did Ragtime pieces finger-style.

Tim Allan from Canada
Tenor banjo solist

Mike Seeger and Tom Paley
with the New Lost City Ramblers

Narvin Campbell
Jazz trad with Preservation Hall Jazz Band


Tommy Jarrell, Kyle Creed, Fred Cockerham
Round Peak style players

Trad players:
1. Wade Ward
2. Pete Steele
3. Obray Ramsay
4. Roscoe Holcomb
5. Cousin Emmy
6. Lily Mae Ledford (of the Coon Creek Girls)
7. Stringbean

And here's a couple that you've never heard of but they are damned fine banjo pickers.

Arkansas Red from Eureka Springs, Arkansas

And

My friend and mentor Bill Rutan who I think is one of the finest tenor banjo players in the country.

And this is just the tip of the proverbial banjo iceberg.

From a guy who loves the banjo,

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Severn
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 08:08 PM

I always enjoyed hearing Don Stover. He could fit in playing with any band or with strangers on short notice and bring taste and understated professionalism into any situation and rescue things if they started to go bad.

Macon, Poole, Dock Boggs, Mike Seeger and Tommy Thompson for old timey stuff

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: JedMarum
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 09:06 PM

oh, yeah Chris Coole! I love Chris Coole ... this is an elegant player, if you can use that word for old time styles ... real nice touch ...

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 10:35 PM

Ralph Stanley.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 11:07 PM

Uncle Dave Macon, Stringbean, and Buckmiller Shannon for those who have passed on. Currently, Cathy Barton. There are a number of other really good pickers mentioned above. My tastes run to the clawhammer style, so that's the way this list reads.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: number 6
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 11:22 PM

No mention of Doug Dillard. I'll put the plug in for him.

sIx

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 02:55 AM

Le Scaramouche, it's the late Johnny Keenan who was Paddy's brother,
incidently the whole family were great musicians.

What about Leroy Troy, he can do things with a banjo that haven't been invented yet.

eric

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Ernest
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 03:25 AM

Everyone I really like has been mentioned before: Barney McKenna for tenor, Dock Boggs, Derroll Adams, Pete Seeger for 5-string.
Apologies to those I can`t mention because I haven`t heard them yet.
Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Stu
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 03:49 AM

Sully, (Tony Sullivan).

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 03:50 AM

Bloke at our local session... Terry Parnell. I like him because he gave up banjo for the fiddle!! *BG*

LTS

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Sooz
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 04:06 AM

Tom Napper

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 04:50 AM

Earl Scruggs, without a doubt, and the guy (whose name I've forgotten) who used to duo with him.

All the technique, and flash, without every sounding flashy. He was the one that made the banjo SING.

Don T.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 04:51 AM

Something just went "click" in my head.

Wasn't that ELMER Scruggs?

Don T.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: freda underhill
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 05:05 AM

Del McCoury ..

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: JennyO
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 05:42 AM

Don, that was Lester Flatt who used to play with Earl Scruggs, wasn't it?

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 06:19 AM

Earl Scruugs brother was called Junie, he too was a superb banjoist.

eric

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 06:54 AM

Oops, you are quite right, Paddy's brother is Johnny.

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: number 6
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 08:11 AM

Del McCoury ?????

Thanks for the posts ... there are many names that have been posted that I am unaware of and will certainly look them up. I'm also interested in knowing some names of the great New Orleans tenor banjo players.

much appreciated everyone!

sIx

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Severn
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 08:47 AM

When Scruggs used to do a duet number spotlight every set in the old days, it was with Paul Warren, The Foggy Mountain Boys' great breakdown fiddler.



Severn

Subject: To Freda Underhill
From: GUEST,Rob McCoury
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 11:28 AM

To Freda Underhill:

Del McCoury is my dad. He's a guitar player. I play the banjo in his band.

Rob McCoury

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: breezy
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 11:55 AM

Must admit to not having had much banjo at our club though Moses has impressed us with her attempts and could go further

That Del Mc version of R T's Vincent is very comunicative.I like it and it was on Folk on 2 recently

I heard Ralph Stanley and was most impressed

Locally I admire Derek Brimstone who is most entertaining and charming

leadfingers ,you are right, we all wish you could play

The word frayling has not emerged, is that what you guys call clawhammer? cos it aint that for me.

Pete Seeger did it good

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: Big Mick
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 11:57 AM

I'm with Jed on this one. Chris Coole is an absolute wonder. Listen to him on Rick Fielding's version of "High On A Mountain". He demonstrates the real mark of a master, that is he takes a simple riff and fills it with perfect yet simple adornment. The result ..... a stunning performance, elegant yet simple. And don't worry, when it's time to go like hell, he can do that too.

And Jed is no slouch either. How the hell did a hack like me get so lucky as to know these people? Oh   ......   Yeah ..... it was the Mudcat.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: your favourite banjo player
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 12:30 PM

Although Martin Simpson is better known for his virtuoso guitar , I've heard him play dance music on the banjo and it was great.
"Shoot the turkey buzzard" was one of the tunes, cant remember the names of the others....Ake