When I first started playing Banjo in 1950, there were an estimated 400 banjo players in the whole wold. 200 or so were listed by the "Fraternity of 5-string Banjoists of America". which was headquartered in Connecticut, somewere. The figured that any banjo player that they knew about was automatically a member. Tom Paley taught me "Clawhammer" in about ten minutes, with "Johnny Booker". I taught myself three finger Bluegrass styl and used it on a Rock and Roll record, "Angel Face" by the "Neons" (Tetra Lable) in l956. Yes, Chip A, there are too many banjo players with only one style. I play the thing any way I want to and with any kind of music. My Long time friend, and one time partner, Roger Sprung does Mozart, Wagner, Tschaikovskey, Scott Joplin and a lot of 1920-30's pop tunes. His "Maple leaf Rag" is dynamite. When I sarted playing banjo, there were top of the line banjo's hanging in every hock shop window, which could be purchased for almost nothing. If you think that there aren't many five string banjoists around, then you are traveling in the wrong circles. I go to a Bluegrass-ish picking party at the Rennaisance Art Gallery in Fall River, Mass on the first and third friday of every month, and the place is crawling with some very accomplished banjo pickers, some of whom play anything you want. One of these guys plays Irish traditional jigs, reels and hornpipes that will knock your ears off. Paul Geremia, who also lives in Newport, called me up one day and said that he has a record of Uncle Dave Macon playing "The wreck of the Tennessee Gravy train" and it sounded like a Barrelhouse piano. He suggested that I come over and listen to it and try to learn to play like that. So I did. I worked out a picking techniqeue (all fingers picking down) that pretty much sounds like that. Paul called me up a few days later and said, "Never mind", because what he heard was actually two banjo's with Sam Mcgee playing rhythm on a "Guitar-Banjo". Anyway, whenever Paul or I work here in the old home town, the other one shows up and we throw the audience a curve with The Tennessee Gravy train. He calls my newly worked out banjo fingering technique "Jody's schizzophrenic banjo". For those of you who've never heard him, Paul Geremia is known throughout the world as strictly a blues singer. But, he's a lot more than that. At parties and jam sessions, he plays all kinds of stuff. The two of us do "At The Royal Hawaiian Hotel" and everyone who doesn't know him get's this look of disbelief on their faces. Dave Macon was versitile as all get out. Enough.

Jody Gibson, Newport, RI.