Banjo Studio Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Chad Kopotic is the master builder over at the Deering Banjo Company and has been with Deering for 27 years now. Chad knows pretty much everything there is to know when constructing and setting up banjos. He's a great resource and gives us a lot of great tips on how to properly set up your banjo.

New Orleans tenor banjoist, guitarist, and bassist Don Vappie drops by Banjo Studio to talk with us today. Don has been inducted in the Banjo Hall of Fame and has won the Steve Martin Banjo Award, as well as many other accolades. We get into a number of things including some chord voicings, articulation and phrasing in your music, what it means to be Creole, and more!

Jens Kruger of the Kruger Brothers is a modern master of the 5 string banjo who is taking the instrument to places it has never been. Born in Switzerland and now living in North Carolina, Jens' music bridges American folk music and European classical music styles. He has composed for a full symphony orchestra as well as a number of string quartets and more. 

In this interview, we dig deep into his compositional techniques, style, and more. Enjoy!

Joe Henry is a prolific songwriter, guitarist, producer, and author. He has won multiple Grammy awards, has 15 studio albums under his own name, and has produced countless artist’s recordings. His production credits include Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, Rhiannon Giddens, Aarron Neville, Soloman Burke, and many, many more.

This is a fascinating interview with one of the great creative forces in American music of our time. Listen to Joe Henry go into depth about his songwriting process, production process, and more. If you’re a fan of music of any kind you will enjoy and learn from this interview.

Guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Tracey Chapman) is known for his tone and taste.  Adam talks with host Jonathan Freilich about his concept on the guitar, how he looks at the guitar from a more compositional approach as oppose to a cliche guitar licks approach, his studies with Ted Greene, his current online guitar lessons course, and more.

In this episode, we talk with the legendary jazz guitarist Steve Khan. Steve has been listed as one of the top 22 jazz guitarists of all time and has an extensive recording career in many genres. Steve has recorded and appeared with the likes of Miles Davis, Steely Dan, Chaka Khan, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and the list goes on. Steve Has been focused in the later part of his career in latin jazz and has been called "The Voice Of Guitar In Latin Jazz". 

This week we talk with the mesmerizing singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, ukulele) Valerie June.  Valerie hails from Tennessee and has a unique sound that blends blues, country, and Appalachia.  She has an amazingly effervescent, positive spirit and this comes across in her music. Host Jonathan Freilich talks about her influences, her songwriting process, and more.

This is a fantastic interview. Take a listen.  Valerie also performs a song for us on the banjo!

In this episode we talk with master old time Appalachian musician and banjo builder Riley Baugus. Riley plays in the Round Peak style which comes from the area of Surry County, North Carolina. Host Jonathan Freilich talks with Riley about the Round Peak style, what is old time music, his musical path, and more. Riley has recorded with Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Allison Kraus, and more. He also sang on the Academy Award Nominated soundtrack for the movie Cold Mountain. 

Riley plays and sings a few tunes! Take a listen!

Host Jonathan Freilich talks with 5 string banjoist Rob McCoury of the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin' McCourys. Jonathan talks with Rob about what he is currently working on, how he is getting on during the Covid lockdown, and what it was like growing up around the music of his father Del McCoury.

Chris "Critter" Eldridge is a master of the dreadnought guitar and is the guitarist & sings with Punch Brothers, Live From Here, Julian Lage, and more. This is a great interview and host Jonathan Freilich talks with Chris about compositional form of the Punch Brothers tunes, Chris' training with legendary guitarist Tony Rice, how to get the best live sound and recorded sound for an acoustic guitar, and more!