Sheenjack - Posted - 02/15/2025:  15:36:34

Have recently happened upon the youtube vids of Backwoods Bluegrass with Sarah Stewart on banjo. Was surprised to find their are no discussions of this young lady on BHO and that is a wonder. How did she escape our collective notice. Her playing is solid, clean, innovative.

At the link is a vid of their arrangement of East Bound And Down. At the half way point she takes a single string break and replicates Jerry Reids guitar break. Imaginative. This young lady is seriously talented.

Another awesome rendering is White Freightliner Blues. Catch her break at the half way mark. Im liking this group a lot.

youtube.com/watch?v=VNGksby0PeA

White Freightliner youtube.com/watch?v=2NdqgUtsnfU

Edited by - Sheenjack on 02/15/2025 15:39:06

perltone - Posted - 02/15/2025:  15:43:54

Yes she is excellent. She was with Ron Stewart at a party in Indianapolis about 10 years ago. They are now married.

cecil36 - Posted - 02/15/2025:  17:50:15

Sarah is as good on a guitar. One of her on the guitar is Where the soul never dies. I rilly like her back up on the 5 string.

FenderFred - Posted - 02/15/2025:  20:41:53

quote:

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Originally posted by Sheenjack

Have recently happened upon the youtube vids of Backwoods Bluegrass with Sarah Stewart on banjo. Was surprised to find their are no discussions of this young lady on BHO and that is a wonder. How did she escape our collective notice. Her playing is solid, clean, innovative.

At the link is a vid of their arrangement of East Bound And Down. At the half way point she takes a single string break and replicates Jerry Reids guitar break. Imaginative. This young lady is seriously talented.

Another awesome rendering is White Freightliner Blues. Catch her break at the half way mark. Im liking this group a lot.

youtube.com/watch?v=VNGksby0PeA

White Freightliner youtube.com/watch?v=2NdqgUtsnfU

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Some great backup banjo. Thank you for sharing. 

banjobutcher - Posted - 03/09/2025:  09:27:18

Told u back in Feb. she was playin some solid music. D.Gatewood

HarleyQ - Posted - 03/09/2025:  20:46:04

She plays some fiddle also!! Ron's training her well!!

Bronx banjo - Posted - 03/11/2025:  09:35:27

I just discovered this band. They are excellent and I think Sarah Stewart’s banjo playing is superb. It’s subtle, understated and rhythmically perfect. It’s refreshing to hear a banjo player who doesn’t play a freaky, gratuitous ego break, but who plays exactly what the material calls for. Some of the our well-known banjo stars could learn something from her. What’s also amazing is the tone she gets out the “lowly” bow tie RB 250. It rivals any holy grail flathead I’ve ever heard.

banjobutcher - Posted - 03/12/2025:  16:52:18

DITTO! As I said, she is getting a lot of sound out of bow tie

ecrim - Posted - 03/26/2025:  19:09:22

She is amazing. I hope she does Patreon soon. Best I’ve seen in a long time, very talented.

Dan Jocoy - Posted - 06/25/2025:  11:21:53

I agree about Sarah - I stumbled upon her playing and have tried to mimick some of her licks even with the camera showing exactly what she is doing and I still struggle to get it like her. She is an excellent and innovative picker. Maybe, having Ron as her husband has also helped.

Mike Thompson - Posted - 06/26/2025:  10:04:49

I’ve been following Backwoods Bluegrass for quite a while, they play straightforward music and Sarah does a great job on banjo. I recently saw her playing with Rhonda Vincent and her band at the Opry, just one song but it was well done.

RB-1 - Posted - 07/02/2025:  05:51:15

quote:

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Originally posted by Bronx banjo

I just discovered this band. They are excellent and I think Sarah Stewart’s banjo playing is superb. It’s subtle, understated and rhythmically perfect. It’s refreshing to hear a banjo player who doesn’t play a freaky, gratuitous ego break, but who plays exactly what the material calls for. Some of the our well-known banjo stars could learn something from her. What’s also amazing is the tone she gets out the “lowly” bow tie RB 250. It rivals any holy grail flathead I’ve ever heard.

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I'm hearing you. No matter how much I like freaky playing as well....

The first one, drawing my attention to a Bow Tie, when travelling with Lou Reid & Carolina, was Gena Britt. 

Apart from her singing like an angel, that is.

Sheenjack - Posted - 07/02/2025:  11:22:58

Just up loaded.  Sensational Sarah now has a channel with  her first tutorial on how to play her  version of Ramblin Fever.  In line 3 she replicates Merle's guitar break.  Good stuff. I love this break. Hope to see more of these from Sarah.  The Bow Tie has a nice CRACK.!

youtube.com/watch?v=hhziCk4WzVE

Edited by - Sheenjack on 07/02/2025 11:25:03