Who is your banjo hero? And why? And PLEASE, only one per person. I hate to seem controlling, but it is not unheard of for these threads to get out of hand.

I pick Bascom Lunsford. Why? There is something I can't quite hear which is right below the song. I can't quit trying to hear it.., or to put it all together. I want to stop, almost, but it has made me very happy a thousand times for two or three minutes at a bang. It has got legs.

Thanks,

Boyd

P.S. Second place goes to Clarance Ashley. And all the rest of ya.




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Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  16:40:00  

Tom Adams, because every time I've ever seen him he has seemed to be having a great time, just happy to be onstage playing the banjo (or these days, the guitar). Because he's been completely content to play his "pre-Gulf War" 1981 Goldstar his entire career. Because he has an amazingly rock-solid sense of timing, no matter what instrument he is playing. Because he finds ways to be inventive within a fairly traditional bluegrass context. Because every time I have talked to him after a show he has been unfailingly friendly and helpful. And so on.

[Oops, just realized that your post was in the clawhammer/old-time forum - I'll think for a minute and find a more appropriate answer...]

Well, for old-time banjo I would have to say Mike Seeger - although that is really too small a catagory to encompass all the Mike accomplished. He is a musical hero, for his lifelong efforts to unearth, preserve, and popularize so much wonderful music, for his desire to pass along his knowledge to others, for his mastery of so many traditional banjo and guitar styles, and on and on.

A special honorary mention would go to Scipio, who is as far as I know the first banjo player whose name we know. A slave who escaped from Maryland to Philadelphia at least three separate times in the 1750's, he to me symbolizes all the anonymous African-Americans who created the banjo (and the early playing techniques from which clawhammer developed) in the 17th and 18th Centuries, without whom we wouldn't have any banjo music or banjo heros to even discuss.

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 09/11/2009 18:26:21

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  16:53:54          

Jim Mills. Not only a great picker, but great performer and loves the fans.

Go down pickin'

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  17:02:36            

quote:

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Jim Mills

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Posted - 09/11/2009 :  17:44:31            

Assuming banjo heroes don't have to be dead, I vote for Bob Carlin. Fast, musical, and clean. Emphasis on musical and clean. His recordings are very instructive to me, once you slow them down a bit. I've picked up a few things from him that have really helped my playing.

It's because I've been listening to a lot of BC lately. Specifically his "Box The Fox" tune. Ask me tomorrow, and I'll have a different still-alive hero. Maybe Dan or Adam.

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  17:51:19      

Who is Scipio? And Bascom Lamar Lunsford was an up-picker. ONE PER PERSON, P-L-E-A-S-E. Follow the rules.

I say Fred Cockerham. Why? The fifth string is like maple syrup on flap jacks.

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Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  18:12:46      

Adam Hurt. His notes are crisp and clear. His playing is wonderfully melodic. He also has a way of making a tune his own. Plus, he is a nice guy who is approachable.
GerryH

Edited by - GerryH on 09/11/2009 18:14:39

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  18:23:55  

quote:

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Originally posted by Boyd1


ONE PER PERSON, P-L-E-A-S-E. Follow the rules.

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Well, I followed your rules about as well as you did - unless you consider Bascom Lunsford, Clarence Ashley, and Fred Cockerham to be the same person.

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 09/11/2009 18:29:10

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  19:23:48    

scott vestal....

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  19:28:37        

Man, tough call! Did you really mean one per person? Or one per post? Or one per day?

Anyway, today I would have to go with Dan Gellert. Because he's the funkiest player I know. Plus I was listening to him in the car on the way home from work today. :-) 'Course, I was also listening to Mac Benford's "Half Past Four" CD ... ;-) Ask me again tomorrow!

Scott

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  19:42:32      

Well, you got me scratchin' my head there EggerRidgeBoy. I didn't mean to climb under the fence. But now that you mention it, I'll say Dock Boggs. Why? Goose bumps.

***************************
Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

Posted - 09/11/2009 :  20:40:39      

Pete Seeger. Anyone who would stand up to the House Un-American Activities Committee is a hero in my book, banjo or no. Pete also wrote what is likely the most widely distributed banjo instruction book out there, and even with whatever fault might be able to be found with it, I suspect that more people have learned from Pete Seeger's book than any other source. He plays several styles, including clawhammer (though most often up-picking and then brushing down). He plays mostly folk, but recorded some pretty good Old Time along the way. With a career going on 70 (?) years, and being a friendly ambassador for the banjo the whole time, it would be hard to find anyone who has done more to promote the banjo...unless it was his brother.

"When Banjos are Outlawed, only Outlaws will have Banjos."

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  05:58:09            

Dwight Diller.



"Gospel. The most powerful music in this world and the next."



www.frailin.com
www.myspace.com/frailin
www.myspace.com/singletonstreet
www.myspace.com/eelpouts
&
www.autismhangout.com

Edited by - frailin on 09/12/2009 05:58:45

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  06:34:48          

OK, my banjo hero is my friend Tom Turino of central Illinois.

Why? He's the most creative and innovative player I've heard and specializes in outside-the-box playing. He often plays with his son, Matt doing the fiddle part of thier banjo-fiddle duets. Matt's a whole nuther story...

They just released thier first studio album on CDBaby, so it's a chance for others to experiance his great clawhammer stylings.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mtturino

Visit my website for assorted banjo construction information:
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page...onTips1.html

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  09:14:01        

Walt Koken!!

Tom Collins

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www.newhottimes.com

Elements of Round Peak Banjo videos: http://youtube.com/profile?user=FretlessFury

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  09:17:00    

Dwight Diller, BECAUSE: his playing has power, mystery, joy, and a fierce, lonesome, passion. THAT is what he puts into the music, along with all the notes and such.

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Bill

I'm trying for that "ragged, but right" sound. I'm half way there!

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  09:17:56    

Kirk McGee. Very rag influenced on his finger-pickin (I love rags) and great, straight-forward rhythmic style clawhammer picker. He made his banjo styles fit many types of songs that weren`t old time country tunes like Milk Cow Blues (blues), Keep A Light In Your Window Tonight (sentimental pop) and even close to getting into rock & roll with a couple of recordings in the 50`s on the Tennessee label called Rambler`s Blues & the way he played It`s Too Late To Change Your Mind. Kirk is WAY under-rated as a 5-sting picker in my book!!!

Allen
Check out my music blog at www.allensarchiveofearlyoldc....blogspot.com

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  09:33:42      

Banjo Bill Cornett.

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  09:55:53        

Leroy Troy. The man has drive to spare, is always friendly to fans, and knows more obscure songs than I thought was humanly possible. He also plays great two-finger style. A seriously under appreciated player.

Hot Dog!

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  11:52:30        

Kyle Creed

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  12:09:39        

Deceased hero: Tommy Jarrell
Still kicking hero: Adam Hurt

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  14:19:04      

Mike Seeger

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  16:57:28  

Ernest B. Lunceford

R.D. Lunceford- "Missourian in Exile"
Model 1865 Bowlin Fretless Banjo
****************************************************
"Drink from the Musselfork once, and you'll
always come back." -Dr. Bondurant Hughes, 1917

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  17:47:41            

R.D., have you posted recordings of your father's playing?

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  18:19:15  

Dave Johnston

Posted - 09/12/2009 :  18:24:29  

Dave Johnston