Banjo Chat – Details, episodes & analysis

This is the Season Finale! And my mind is blown hearing Alison Brown talk about her banjos and what she’s playing on the road.  We chat about her music, making records, producing, re-issuing records and the vision for her band. We nerd out about how we like the piano and banjo combo. 

What she likes to convey with her music, and how she goes beyond how the banjo is usually portrayed.  We listen to her track Sweet Sixteenths with Sierra Hull on mandolin, and the Alison Brown Quartet.  

We talk about Compass records and why it started and she gives advice for getting over your nerves. 

“The banjo is a conduit for connecting with other people”

https://www.alisonbrown.com

https://alisonbrown.bandcamp.com/album/on-banjo

patreon.com/banjochat

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Pickenchickenbooks for Kustom Koozies

This week on the chat we have Lukas Pool!

A fun one where we talk about the ins and outs of the Ozark Banjo Shop, how it all started and when he was was making banjos just to pay the rent! 

Apprentices, banjo making, balancing having kids with performing music, horses, and his dad working over at Mountain View Music. 

He tells us why he decided to make a living playing music and we get specific about repairs, wood selection, and what he looks for in a banjo. 

Also how he approaches arranging a fiddle tune for banjo, and advice for people learning and making banjos.

https://ozarkbanjo.com/

https://www.patreon.com/BanjoChat

Season 2 kicks off with a bang!  We have Lisa Leblanc! Coming straight from her recent Symphony tours of her original music in Canada. Her big picture on connection with the audience, and how to have fun onstage.  How she has developed her style of banjo playing, and getting to jump around and wail on the banjo.  The amazing connection between Acadian, Cajun, songwriting and Chiac music and how she has blended them with folk, bluegrass and rock elements to create an ever evolving sound! Truly an inspiring chat and was psyched to have Lisa on the show!

“As soon as you’re comfortable everyone knows it, as soon as you’re uncomfortable, everyone knows it even more”- Lisa Leblanc about stage performing.  

https://www.lisaleblanc.ca

https://lisaleblanc.bandcamp.com

It's the Season Finale of Season 1!  A special live episode taped onstage at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY.   At the inaugural Banjo Weekend Nov 15-17th where we were teaching a great community of banjoists. This is a highlight for the banjo chat pod, and there are many pearls of wisdom throughout this chat!

Listen to Joe Newberry, Cedric Watson, Tony Trischka, Scott Hopkins talk about first banjos, and their beginnings.  Highlights of their performing experiences, New things they are excited about, upcoming projects. Earl Scruggs, Transatlantic Sessions, life in Louisiana.  How to be confident on stage, how to stay inspired and motivated, and what life is life outside of music.  Advice for anyone who is learning something new.

The Ashokan Center  https://ashokancenter.org/

Joe Newberry https://www.joenewberry.biz/

Cedric Watson https://www.bijoucreole.com/

Tony Trischka https://www.tonytrischka.com/

Scott Hopkins https://scotthopkinsbanjo.com/

Hilary Hawke https://hilaryhawkemusic.com/

This week’s episode is with Cynthia Sayer!

We talk about what it is like being a full-time professional banjoist in the jazz world.  What made her want to learn swing banjo? How she was touring for 20 years before ever working with another woman in jazz. Being in Woody Allen’s jazz band for 10 years and working with him. 

We listen to two of her albums; Cynthia Sayer Vol 1., and Joyride.  What it takes to make a career in music, staying open to following your heart and having good people around you.  

https://cynthiasayer.com

https://cynthiasayer.bandcamp.com/

banjochatpodcast@gmail.com

This week my guest is BB Bowness!  We chat about what it’s like being a professional bluegrass banjoist.  How she got into banjo in New Zealand and got her first banjo from the United States.

How she approaches improvising, and playing with different artists as well as the driving force and focus of her band, Mile Twelve. She chats about how the band started in the beginning and has been going strong for the past 10 years. Doing planks and good posture to strengthen yourself for holding resonator banjo while playing.  What fingerpicks and thumb picks she uses. Bluechip versus plastic thumb pick.  Her 2 main banjos.  Coming to the U.S for the first time. How to stay healthy and happy as a musician. 

https://miletwelve.bandcamp.com/

https://www.catherinebowness.com/

www.doctorswithoutborders.org

This episode is with Cristina Vane! 

She talks about how she got into clawhammer banjo, the bluegrass and old-time scenes in Nashville, Los Angeles, and NYC and what it’s like moving closer to the source of blues, and old-time. How music has been a constant in her life, and honing her voice in the music she makes and honoring all the things that make her musical identity.  We hear her story growing up in Italy and traveling to the United States. Geeking out about the late blues artist, Chris Whitley and his album, Dirt Floor. Advice about identity as a musician, and great advice for how to keep good priorities and feel satisfied in your life. “Don’t quit don’t quit”! Listen to two tracks from her newest album, Make Myself Me Again.

WEBSITE

https://www.cristinavane.com/

https://cristinavane.bandcamp.com/

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www.wearablechaos.com

Follow us on instagram @banjochat

In this episode we chat with Allison DeGroot!  Allison talks about her immersion into banjo and how she got into playing in bands. Writing tunes.  The playing of Hobart Smith and Fred Cockerham and recording the album Hurricane Clarice with Tatiana Hargreaves. We listen to Ostrich with Pearls, we talk about weaving in family stories into the music. Her original tune, Wellington and finding the muse. Nancy Blevins and the production of the album. How she visualizes the banjo when playing with Tati. Getting into different banjo tunings! Staying inspired, handling pressure and how it feels to be creative and evolving with the banjo. Also tips and advice for banjo players!

https://allisonandtatiana.bandcamp.com

https://brucemolsky.bandcamp.com/

https://www.allisondegroot.com/

Hubby talks about how he got into music, how he practices in small spaces, his influences in early folk, old-time, influences from other people besides banjoists (comedians, other types of musicians).  Naming our banjos. He dives deep into some music from Black Banjo Songsters and we listen to the Rufus Casey version of the Cuckoo song. What it was like for him learning that the banjo started as a black instrument and how it re-shaped history.   His live shows and what it was like playing his first festival as a touring musician.  Being in the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The perception of the banjo from all different types of audiences.  Hubby asks what it’s like for me being a woman playing the banjo.   We chat about the hustle in NYC. 

He talks about not letting history get into the way, but also being aware of the songs you’re playing and being respectable and knowledgable.

Hubby shares his must-know songs for the banjo world. 

https://www.hubbyjenkins.com/

https://hubbyjenkins.bandcamp.com/

“I never feel more grounded and more centered than when I’m lost in playing” -Hubby Jenkins

On episode 4 our guest is Adam Hurt! We talk about the importance of teaching in day to day life, and the realities of being a musician, getting stage nerves and energy levels after performing. His Back to the Earth album and working with Ricky Skaggs, Brittany Haas, Paul Kowert and Jordan Tice. What kind of music he listens to and what the ingredients for good music are. Some strategies for learning new music. Thoughts on old-time music and what influences his music and advice for us in this world of social media.

In this episode we listened to:

Kentucky Winder and Biddy   https://adamhurt.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-earth

Adam Hurt’s Website:  https://www.adamhurt.com