I attended a great bluegrass festival in Romney, WV last weekend. One of the acts was Karl Shiflett and Big Country, whom I had never heard before. It was a very entertaining show. Karl's relatively new banjo player is Dillon Scott. He is 17 years old and has been playing for only 4 years...but you would never know it. He is very solid. The most impressive part is that he has already digested Scruggs, Reno and Crowe lead and back-up stuff to play it seamlessly based on the needs of each song.

The other impressive thing is his banjo. It is a Jim Mills model Huber, and it is THE best sounding non-prewar banjo I have ever heard. Strike that...it is one of THE best banjos I've ever heard. I swear when he launched into the first song, I thought I was listening to Earl's Grenada. I'm not kidding. There was a stunning resemblance that I hadn't heard in another banjo. I know Dillon's attack contributes to the tone.

I just wanted let you know in case you get to hear Karl Shiflett's band.

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted - 07/04/2009 :  17:35:09      

This makes me want a Huber even more

Tony

Posted - 07/06/2009 :  15:31:47      

Well Tony, just give Steve a call. He'll be happy to ease your banjo desires!!

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted - 07/06/2009 :  17:46:18      

I too heard Dillon for the first time in June with KS & BCS. Nice kid, eager to talk banjos and jam! Enthusiastic! Also likes to pick Ralph Stanley stuff, he told me.

Let's hope Dillon doesn't go careening off the tracks and take up some kind of space-grass. Us traditionalists need some new young heroes!

The boy's a heck of a singer too!

I agree, he makes that Mills model sound like a cannon. He let me pick it, and the head was so tight I was astounded. To me it sounded a bit constricted, like it had the croup or something when I was playing it. But the harder I played it the better it sounded, and Dillon certainly plays HARD!

A VERY good looking banjo too.

The Old Timer, still learning!