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Banjoist |
Playing Since: 1975
Experience Level: Purty Good
Interests:
[Socializing]
Occupation: Retired
Gender: Male
Age: 67
My Instruments:
My 1976 Ibanez Artist has withstood the test of time - just sold Doug my Ome Juggernaut, lost my Earl Scrugg's in an RV fire a few years back...purchased a Hatfield Celebrity in 2014.
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
JD Crowe, RIcky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Newgrass, Ronnie Bowman, the Infamous Stringdusters, Charlie Waller's Country Gentlemen, and, of course, more!
Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 3/2/2009
Last Visit 4/30/2021
Though my dad played the Flatt and Scruggs album once in a while around the house growing up, my main Influence was Ken Arrow as a teen. I worked with Ken and we listened daily to the Ralph Emory show and his guests as we worked. The show always had that acoustic, old-time country and bluegrass flavor! Ken had taken some lessons and enjoyed the music, and had owned a Gibson Mastertone before I met him. My foundation began with some guitar when I was 12-13, and cello in 4th grade - quit both. Though I learned how to read music during that period, that skill has never meant much in my world of banjo-playing. Began playing banjo after my third year in college when I lived in a house where Steve and Jack were learning Dylan, John Prine, Old and in the Way and the 1st 'Circle' album. Bought a beginner Banjo at Buzzo's, then the Ibanez in 76. Learned how to play Cripple Creek from Roy Clark playing it on Hee Haw!(because I couldn't perform Earl's forward roll) Was the third member of The Hogsback Ridge Band - with Terry and Steve, later Eddie, Snail and Trott - was the first working group. After the Hogs came Daybreak(Paul Barnum, Terry East and Jerry Edens - where I really had to learn some harmony - replaced Mike Cloonan - as if that was possible?)), Sidetracked(Jack Metzger, Dean Roets and Jimmy Smoot), rock and crossover bands - Slowpoke Rodriguez, 360, Roxygen(yeah Roxygen) and lastly - back to bluegrass, with the Smoot Family(Jimmy, Bonnie, Stacey and Jaimie)... In the middle somewhere, I worked for a well-known Nashville Guitar company for about a yr - they just were not geared to acoustic music during that period - like they had been and are now! Personal high notes - 1) made the Berkshire Mtns Fest Banjo final and having the judges - J.D.Crowe, Don Stover and Little Roy Lewis - all sign my banjo-head! 2) playing the NYS Fair as a Hogsback member! 3) playing Bill Knowlton's Bluegrass Ramble Picnic - it was a sea of people! 4) hosted a flat-pickin' contest at Berkshire as a company rep - met the Rice's and spent a weekend hanging and playing with the tattooed virtuoso Jimmy Arnold!(RIP) 5) jammed with the McCoury boys@ The Conklin Inn, when they 'was just young'uns'! 6) was joined by Ron Thomason on stage for an entire set - when we were warming up the DBFS! Besides the band experiences, we have always jammed during the summers.... with the Smoots, Gulleys, Friesens, MacDonalds, Duncans, Havens, Collins, Coombs, Tremblays, Swanzees, and more from Ontario, and Upstate NY... I have enjoyed the work involved in completing two acoustic cd's - and the work with development on a website of my own 'tcsbluegrassnation.com' that was intended to share the banjo-bluegrass experience, just a little more - I discontinued the website in 2021, sinc eit needs a redux....and I am always looking to play a few gigs/fests/jams a year, or sing-a-long with others that are jamming...and continue to enjoy this banjo-playing life-style!
Newest Posts
'removing tone ring' 1 hr
'Good Sunday Morning' 3 hrs
'Golden Era w/ Videos' 5 hrs
'Cumberland River' 10 hrs
