At Bridgewater Church Roots Rock Revue Chronicles the History of Rock and Roll Nov 11, 2009
Rehearsing for the event (from left) are members of the Revue Rhythm Section, including Kevin Hobbs on guitar, Frank Kelly (obscured) on drums, Dave Bengtson on guitar, Jeff Case on bass and Billy Kavanek on banjo. Not pictured is the legendary Pete Seeger, who will perform Turn, Turn, Turn. (Voices, CT)
At the Ragland: Hotel CaliforniaEagles tribute band to perform Saturday evening Nov 11, 2009
And guitarist Steve Probst, who does vocals, and also plays banjo, has opened for the Little River Band, Dave Mason and 38 Special. He also is an accomplished songwriter. (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
On ‘Play On,’ Underwood straddles country-pop line Nov 9, 2009
Both have the Nashville-approved allotment of fiddle, banjo, and pedal steel to pass muster as country music, but these are crossover hits waiting to happen. The earnest ballads outnumber the uptempo stuff with a lower hit-to-miss ratio and feel a lot more generic in terms of who is/could be singing them. (Boston Globe)
James Reed learns to play banjo from a master - all online Nov 8, 2009
James Reed learns to play banjo from a master - all online - The Boston Globe ... Learning to play the banjo from a master - in cyberspace ... (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff) James Reed is learning banjo from visiting Tony Trischka s virtual school. (Boston Globe)
Sarah Rodman gets guitar help from Nils Lofgren - in person and online Nov 8, 2009
James Reed is learning banjo from visiting Tony Trischka s virtual school. (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff) By Globe Staff / November 8, 2009. (Boston Globe)
With instrument - and computer - in hand, music students learn from experts online Nov 8, 2009
Tony Trischka, a seasoned banjo virtuoso often ranked alongside masters such as Earl Scruggs and B ... From the privacy of his New Jersey home, maybe even in his pajamas, Trischka was online at his new School of Banjo ... He was watching videos students had submitted to the site, mostly one-minute clips of them playing basic banjo tunes and inquiring why they were getting a buzzing sound on certain frets. (Boston Globe)
Cascade center sponsors music Nov 6, 2009
Band members include Doug Joyce on banjo, lead singer Billy Cox on mandolin, singer J.P Pulliam on guitar, and Jacob Harbour on guitar, banjo and bass. Comments. (Chatham Star Tribune, VA)
SATURDAY: DAILEY & VINCENT TO PERFORM AT MERAMEC MUSIC THEATRE Nov 6, 2009
Completing Dailey nt's lineup are Jeff Parker on mandolin; Joe Dean on banjo, guitar and mandolin; and Adam Haynes on fiddle. Dailey nt can be found on the web at their official site. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
And the band played on ... Nov 5, 2009
I guess I do have a picture of me getting a toy banjo for Christmas from one of my aunts when I was 2 years old. I seemed to be a natural at it. (Princeton Bureau County Republican, IL)
Photos By You Nov 5, 2009
They enjoyed a buffet brunch along with banjo music as they cruised. Those attending (in no particular order) were Coonie and Gladys Alleman of Tonica; Ralph and Barbara Bowermaster, Roger and Judy Hooper, Don and Joanne Jones, Steve and Geline Marshall, and John and Joyce Timmons all of Ottawa; Paul and Lynn Furar of LaMoille; Lee and Juanita Garrett of Streator and Joe Schott and Bob Turner of LaSalle. (Princeton Bureau County Republican, IL)
Chi-Hi honors Balts, Wolter, Jenneman Nov 5, 2009
Gus enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, music and playing banjo. He plans to attend a four-year college and pursue a writing career. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Bridging the gaps between genres Nov 5, 2009
"Play On" is still very much country - there's banjo, pedal steel and mandolin - but Underwood has added different musical textures ... "Undo It," with its banjo intro and na-na-na chorus, is a great spurned love song. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
And Oscar hosts are: Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin Nov 4, 2009
The 64-year-old entertainer is currently on tour in support of his latest banjo album. He and Baldwin share the screen in Nancy Meyers film Its Complicated, due in theaters next month. (MSNBC -- News)
What others say: Hobo entertainer Banjo Fred a great friend, compassionate Nov 4, 2009
I just received an email that a good friend to the hobos and great hobo entertainer Banjo Fred Starner caught the westbound for his ride to Gloryland on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 after several months of illness. I wish to tell you a little of what I knew of Banjo Fred ... If I sent out a plea for a hobo needing financial help with a Frisco Circle , Banjo Fred Starner was almost always the first to send a donation. (Forest City Summit, IO)
Fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty electrifies Nov 4, 2009
"Jazz, with its improvisation, fulfilled my dream of being a composer," says Ponty, a musical polymath who's been equally comfortable playing with bebop piano genius Bud Powell and Frank Zappa's raucously experimental Mothers of Invention, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and banjo wizard Bela Fleck. The first to bring a horn-like attack and phrasing to modern-jazz violin playing, Ponty became a leading light of the jazz-rock idiom called fusion, recording a string of hit records that rocked and hummed... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Underwood stretches her country boundaries Nov 3, 2009
AP"Play On" is still very much country there's banjo, peddle steel and mandolin but Underwood has added different musical textures ... "Play On" is still very much country there's banjo, peddle steel and mandolin but Underwood has added different musical textures, which points to her maturation as an artist ... "Undo It," with its revved up banjo intro and na-na-na chorus, is a great spurned love song. (MSNBC -- Music)
Book documents Crescent City before Katrina, flood Nov 1, 2009
"It was the valve between two vast musical hemispheres, one Afro-American and one Afro-Latin, one Protestant with the banjo and fiddle, the other Catholic, emphasizing drumming," one with the American swing rhythm, the other with the Latin clave beat, Sublette said. Sublette, who trained as a classical guitarist, fused Latin and honky-tonk music with his album "Cowboy Rumba" in 1999 and co-produced the public radio program "Afropop Worldwide." He has since transformed himself into an author and... (Athens Banner-Herald)
A new shade of Cale Nov 1, 2009
The events were free - so there was nothing to lose in listening to an American banjo player creating a soundscape inspired by Tasmania's insects, or in hearing a German organist improvising music inspired by art. Despite a cut in government funds (blame the global financial crisis for the drop from $350,000 to $250,000), next year's festival will remain largely free - in fact, there are more events overall, so there will be more free events, and a few more ticketed events. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Survivors thriving one year later Oct 31, 2009
For her 60th birthday, Mrs. Swenson's husband, Steve, and her eight children bought her a banjo ... "Then I remembered the banjo. I grew up on Vermont bluegrass and was raised on Pete Seeger," she said. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Madonna promises Malawian village electricityMphandula, west of Lilongwe, Malawi (PANA) - Pop super-star Madonna, currently in Malawi on a charity tour, has promised to bring electricity to a rural Malawianvillage, PANA reported from here Thursday. 29/10/2009 Full Text... Oct 30, 2009
They were serenaded by choral and banjo music and at one point Madonna and David joined the dance. Madonna, who arrived in Malawi on Sunday, on Monday performed the ground-breakin g ceremony for her US$ 15 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. (Panapress.com)
MCCT to celebrate autumn with concert on Oct. 30 Oct 30, 2009
Wojcik s primary instrument is the banjo and he has most recently performed songs and storytelling at CoffeeCat. Mock, known mostly for his guitar and bass skills, plays multiple instruments. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
McCarthy tells America's story in a fun way Oct 29, 2009
The show follows a roughly chronological path, mainly held together by personality, as McCarthy rocks out on electric guitar, waxes folksy and western with an acoustic, strums a banjo, and plucks at a lute as Betsy Ross sews a five-pointed star onto the first American flag. There are plenty of rear projections to add visual variety and some costume trickery as he changes into a series of roles representing women heroines of the revolutionary period. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Trick or Trot always a favorite Oct 29, 2009
Banjo player and vocalist Little Roy Lewis will play from noon to 4 p.m. The main show will begin at 6 p.m., led by Jeff and Sheri Easter, followed by The Lewis Family at 6:45 p.m. Admission is $10 ... Little Roy, the Lewis Family's comedian, has joined banjo-fiddle player and vocalist Lizzy Long, formerly of Lincolnton, Ga. (The Augusta Chronicle)
New principal dons the Laona Kelly green Oct 29, 2009
Hes toted his banjo and his guitar with him. The banjo last week rested in a worn, but venerable case in his office located between the Laona elementary and high school wings ... Thursday and Friday, he carried the banjo to a classroom to play and sing happy birthday to a student. (Forest Republican, WI)
Steve Martin's serious about banjo music on his tour Oct 28, 2009
Advertisement For the talking part, "I probably blab about 15 percent of the time," he says during perhaps the only publicity conference call ever held for a banjo tour ... Fans of Martin's 1970s comedy albums will recall the banjo being integral ... He would riff, for instance, on the instrument being almost impervious to dark emotions, juxtaposing banjo licks with the lyric, "Oh, death and grief and sorrow and murder." "I always thought his banjo playing was great," says Chris Walz, program... (Erie Times-News, PA)
Even Money set for Lyceum performance Oct 26, 2009
The band members include Johns, who performs lead and harmony vocals, and also plays banjo and guitar; Brian Durham, bass and lead and harmony vocals; Geoff Callaghan, guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals; and Kay Linton on fiddle. The groups music styles blends an assortment of sounds, from bluegrass and folk to rhythm and blues and soul. (Lake City Reporter, FL)
Still feelin' like a nut Oct 25, 2009
If people wanna hear a banjo and a saxophone, they re still gonna get that, but you probably won t get an entire record of it ... If people wanna hear a banjo and a saxophone, they re still gonna get that, but you probably won t get an entire record of it. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Press writer inducted in IBMA Hall of Fame Oct 23, 2009
Rodney Dillard, on guitar, and Doug Dillard, on banjo, grew up playing music with their family and friends including a teenaged John Hartford near Salem, Mo ... Their first three albums included original songs written by the band members that have become bluegrass standards like The Old Home Place, Dooley, Doug's Tune, Banjo in the Holler and There is a Time. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Victory honors Vietnam vets Oct 19, 2009
A local band, the Coleman Family Band, entertained visitors with traditional American songs played on guitar, fiddle and banjo. Collections of Vietnam War memorabilia were spread out on tables for visitors to view. (Auburn Citizen, NY)
Man with two brains plays five strings Oct 17, 2009
Steve Martin on stage in Los Angeles last month ''I don't want to be known as the comedy banjo player ... He's known as a comedian but for Steve Martin, the banjo is no joke, writes Bernard Zuel ... When he strapped on the banjo, an instrument almost as maligned as the piano accordion, it seemed but one of the comedy tools at his disposal, along with the magic tricks, juggling, physical contortions and philosophical non sequiturs. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Obama brings left, right together -- loudly Oct 16, 2009
Down the block, Jack Chernos of San Francisco strummed his banjo and sang "My People Are Rising," a song he said he wrote for the World Trade Organization protest in Seattle a decade ago ... Down the block, Jack Chernos of San Francisco strummed his banjo and sang ".... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
The Sound Garden to showcase musical talents at the arboretum Oct 16, 2009
Mark Blashford (freshman-broadcast journalism and elementary education) will play his banjo at the event ... "I already have stains on my banjo from playing while eating hot wings ... ice cream could be just what I need for a little extra tone.". (Daily Collegian, PA)
Old western horrorfest Oct 15, 2009
The buzz of the saw, along with rattling chains, disturbing banjo music and the screams of patrons inside the house, can be heard from the lobby area and the entrance. The lobby features hot cider and other concessions, including Fort Fear T-shirts featuring a red skull wearing a cowboy hat. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Truckstop Honeymoon to perform Oct. 17 in Donnellson Oct 15, 2009
They play guitar, banjo and bass ... Part entertainer and part snake-oil salesman, Mike lived by pickin' banjo and selling CDs that he claimed were a curative for hangovers and small mindedness. (Fort Madison Daily Democrat, IO)
The Avett Brothers release of I and Love and You Oct 15, 2009
While the new CD may seem to be taking the band in a new direction, with the prominent use of the piano instead of the banjo, most fans seem to be taking well to the new sound. This may only be the beginning of things to come for the Avett Brothers, who seem to be doubling their fan base with every album. (The Seahawk, NC)
Frisco Arts Festival Friday-Sunday honors Art Starters (PHOTOS) Oct 14, 2009
Music programs include groups, private lessons, all levels and ages including adults in guitar disciplines (acoustic, electric, classical and Bass), voice, violin, banjo, mandolin, flute, percussion disciplines (drums, mallets) and more. Music is fun but even more importantly is an exceptional tool to build discipline, team work, self-esteem and is proven to enhance student's test scores in math. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Overscene: Steve Martin Oct 14, 2009
Buckhead Diner staffers inform Buzz that at the end of the meal, the comic, actor and musician (who was in town for a bluegrass banjo gig at Chastain) was happy to pose for a photo that will be placed on the lobby wall of the diner. The image will join the other two of Martin snapped at the restaurant over the years. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Bands to bring folk, Americana to Roust! Oct 14, 2009
are cut from the same banjo string. The show will feature The Kalob Griffin Band and The Threadbare Orchestra, two bands with sounds influenced by Americana and folk music. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Silly and serious mix pays off Oct 13, 2009
It also takes nerve and adventure to not only give over the first hour of the show to playing your new album in full but to do so in arrangements that almost completely eschew guitar in favour of violin, viola and banjo; use an upright bass instead of electric; and emphasise swing and light touches (including sampled marimba) over any rhythmic insistence. Rather than being a mood killer, playing 12 new songs in a row created its own enclosed atmosphere, akin to the album's journey from crushed... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
From page to stage, a celebration of the bush Oct 13, 2009
"My theory is I'm not the only one," the 31-year-old says of tales such as Banjo Paterson's The Man From Ironbark and C.J. Dennis's Triantiwontigongolope ... Lockley's vaudeville-style Ballads of the Bush concerts feature verse from Paterson, Dennis and Dorothea Mackellar brought to life with singers such as couple Anne-Maree McDonald and Stuart Maunder and Lockley as well as a choir alongside banjos, mandolins and fiddles for a "real Australian sound". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
All aboard: Riding the rails to Eugene Oct 11, 2009
Another guy had a banjo. He said, Do you want to jam. (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
Expansion helps church spread out Oct 9, 2009
March 19: Ross Nickerson and Friends; Ross is at the top of the bluegrass pile as a well-known and highly sought after banjo extraordinaire and always brings some of the best pickers in the business with him. April 16: Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum; Lewis is a Grammy winner and twice been named Female Vocalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
One-woman band Audrey Ryan is in a lofty place Oct 9, 2009
Yet how anyone could mistake Ryan s eccentric one-woman-band approach - she typically plays various combinations of electric guitar, keyboard, accordion, banjo, and drums during her shows - with a performer who plies crowds with Lynyrd Skynyrd covers is a stretch indeed. If you re not trying to replicate something or being too derivative, you end up maybe being a little isolated [from a mass audience], says Ryan one recent afternoon, surrounded by amplifiers and instruments in her sprawling... (Boston Globe)
Helping the Young: 4-H Celebrates Centennial Oct 9, 2009
Banjo music will be provided by Larry McNeely. World Was Bigger. (The Pilot Newspaper)
Wood's Tea in Anaconda Oct 9, 2009
They accompany themselves on a dozen different instruments including banjo, bouzouki, bodhran, guitar and tin whistle. The award-winning band has been featured at Lincoln Center, the Chautauqua Institute, and on National Public Radio, where they've been labeled "America's hardest working folk group." A few years ago, the Irish Heritage Foundation honored Wood's Tea with its Outstanding Innovation Award in appreciation and recognition for their creative contributions to Irish music. (Montana Standard, MT)
Gotta have that folk Oct 9, 2009
Workshops will be conducted by Chip Arnold of Blairsville (whom Jordan says plays a "two-finger banjo style"); Moira Nelligan (who will reprise her Irish fiddle demonstration from a year ago); 92-year-old fiddler Earl Murphy alongside Hawkproof Rooster (demonstrating vocalizing in old-time folk); and fiddler Bob Buckingham ... He plays the hammer dulcimer, guitar, banjo and fiddle and he's a great songwriter ... " For more information on the 25th annual North Georgia Folk Festival, visit . MUSIC... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Fans gorge on free music at Hardly Strictly 9 Oct 7, 2009
Meanwhile, in the main hospitality area Sunday, there was the rarest sighting of all: Banjo Stage performers Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson - the pillars of the genre the festival was created to celebrate - sharing a laugh with Hellman, the man who made it all possible. "That's the history of bluegrass right there," said Jay Blakesberg, a veteran San Francisco rock photographer who has probably seen it all, taking a step back. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Officials bank on Creekside Festival's drawing power Oct 7, 2009
They have the ingredients of bluegrass honed to a fine point: tight harmony, the high notes of the mandolin and ring of the banjo and the bass and guitar filling in the landscape. Armstrong's son, Matt, is bringing new blood to the Creekside Festival with Aslyn (the band's female banjo player) and the Naysayers. (Daytona Beach News Journal -- Local)
Blues musician keeps long-ago past vibrant Oct 6, 2009
Later in his show, Blues picks up a cigar-box banjo. It is literally a wooden cigar box that is attached to a long wooden neck with four strings fastened at either end. (CNN -- US)
The S.F. Jazz Festival lineup Oct 5, 2009
Bla Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre: A tantalizing meeting of the minds - and instruments - featuring maestros of the banjo, bass and, yes, tabla. Cindy Blackman's Another Lifetime, 8 p.m. Oct. 28, Great American Music Hall: The mighty drummer, best known for her frequent appearances with retro-rocker Lenny Kravitz, pays tribute to the late Tony Williams. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
No comments posted. Oct 5, 2009
Wild and Crazy Banjo: You know Steve Martin for his comic chops in dozens of movies, including classics like The Jerk, Roxanne and L.A. Story (well forgive him for The Pink Panther remake and its sequel). But Martin also has some pretty decent banjo skills ... You can see for yourself at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when Martin will perform a possibly wild and crazy concert of bluegrass and banjo songs. (Los Angeles Downtown News, CA)
Hardly Strictly packs in a crowd for music fest Oct 5, 2009
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder offered traditional bluegrass on the Banjo Stage ... But it felt like most of the attendees turned out to see comic actor Steve Martin perform songs from his instrumental banjo album, "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo," along with the Steep Canyon Rangers ... After his set he was greeted by fellow amateur banjoist Warren Hellman, the billionaire investment banker who finances Hardly Strictly as a gift to the city. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Steve Martin on banjo on his first music tour, no joke Oct 4, 2009
An earnest banjo player since he was 17, Martin finally this year released his debut music album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo ... His early comedy routines often featured his banjo picking, which might explain why so many people wonder whether he s serious about his latest direction ... A collection of originals written by Martin (some of them as early as the late 60s), the album is a fine contemporary, mostly instrumental, banjo record that showcases Martin s strident playing,... (Boston Globe)
Tyminski wins top bluegrass awards Oct 4, 2009
Martin, who was up for six honors, won two lesser awards presented earlier Thursday for best liner notes and best graphic design for his first music album, "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo," which has topped the bluegrass charts this year ... Martin, who has played banjo for more than 40 years, said before the show it would feel like the Academy Awards to win something ... Other winners included "Jerusalem Ridge," by Michael Cleveland keeper, instrumental recorded performance of... (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Picker excited to play new venue Oct 4, 2009
"I'm very excited about doing the teaching thing there," says Keel, who will appear in Athens with his wife, Jenny (bass, vocals); Mark Schimick (mandolin, vocals); and Jason Flournoy (banjo, vocals) ... When asked if he ever considered putting down his acoustic guitar to play some six-string electrified lightning, Keel - who points out that his band no longer plays in front a microphone in favor of plugging in - says, "I know some fantastic drummers, but at this point in my career, I prefer the... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Steve Martin Wins His First IBMA Aw... Oct 4, 2009
Now celebrating its 20th year, the annual IBMA event was hosted by Kath Mattea & Hot Rize from the stage of Music City s historic Ryman Auditorium, where accomplished banjo player Martin, who made his Grand Ole Opry debut earlier this year, garnered his inaugural IBMA trophies, albeit in "minor" categories, for Best Liner Notes and for Best Graphic Design in honor of his debut bluegrass album, The Crow. Banjo Player Steve Martin Scores Inaugural Music Awards ... He took the typical bluegrass... (Suite101.com)
Bluegrass for the masses Oct 4, 2009
The ninth annual free music festival, financed by billionaire investment banker and amateur banjoist Warren Hellman, continues today and Sunday with more than 80 acts performing across six stages at Speedway, Lindley and Marx meadows. Also scheduled to appear are Marianne Faithfull, Ralph Stanley, Steve Earle, Mavis Staples, and comedian Steve Martin, playing songs from an instrumental banjo album he released this year. (San Francisco Chronicle)
A Comedian's Defense of Letterman, in Two Parts Oct 3, 2009
Lately, Letterman has been doing a , in which he frontloads the concept, telling the audience that what theyre about to see could be a singer, could be a banjo player, could be a pianist, could be a ballet dancer. . (Slate)
'Zombieland' Stars Enjoyed 'The Art Of' Killing Zombies Oct 3, 2009
Harrelson is a gun-loving, banjo-wielding maniac with major property-destruction issues who looks at a world full of zombies like a little kid playing Whac-a-Mole at Chuck E. Cheese ... "I'm very comfortable with it. All the other characters have these very elaborate weapons especially Woody's character, who uses everything to kill zombies. A banjo, baseball bats, chainsaws he gets into the art of it.". (VHI.com -- Music News)
Saving Face: Will Erica Make Her CNN Debut? Oct 3, 2009
Wait wait, lemme skip ahead to the next track so you can appreciate the range here," and then he skips to another song that sounds like the first. "I'm very versatile that way," he says, bobbing his head and humming along. We drive for a few more miles as Hughie silently appreciates Hughie before he says he wants me to listen to another version of the same song from a live performance he did a few weeks back. He asks if I am hearing the banjo. I assure him I am. After about 10 more minutes of... (Slate)
Tyminski top bluegrass male 4th year in a row Oct 2, 2009
Martin was a finalist for instrumental recorded performance, recorded event (for two songs, Daddy Played the Banjo and The Crow), banjo player of the year, best liner notes and best graphic design for a recorded project ... Martins first music album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, has topped the bluegrass chart this year. (MSNBC -- Music)
Dead of the class Oct 2, 2009
" Tallahassee, meanwhile, likes to wander into grocery stores and stir up the Z's with a little banjo music. While he's got gardening shears stuck in his pants. He's "in the ass-kickin' business and business is good ... Tallahassee, meanwhile, likes to wander into grocery stores and stir up the Z's with a little banjo music. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Steve Martin Vies For Bluegrass Honors Oct 2, 2009
(AP) Comedian and banjo picker Steve Martin is competing for an honor at the 20th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards ... Martin's first music album, "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo," has topped the bluegrass chart this year. (CBS News -- Entertainment)
read story » Oct 1, 2009
He also plays banjo, guitar, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle and jew s harp. Much of his early training on a mail order guitar was honed during a trip to Appalachia after college graduation. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
S.F. festival is hardly bluegrass anymore Sep 30, 2009
Hardly Strictly offers comedian Steve Martin a fine opportunity to re-create the instrumental banjo album he made earlier this year, "The Crow: New Songs For 5-String Banjo.". The heart of the festival remains the traditional folk and bluegrass musicians who appear on the Banjo Stage at Speedway Meadow ... One hundred and fifty years later, his investment-banker grandson will be playing as the opening act Saturday on the Porch stage with his band, the Wronglers, a banjo on his knee. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
