Sweet!
Thanks for doing this!
tom in maine

Great job, Laurence. It has a nice Gypsy swing to it. I could see someone like Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman doing this.

Bravo!

Thanks for another great seing tune, Laurence. As a young child, I listened to my mother’s swing 78s for years before I knew what a 5-string banjo was, so your swing playing brings back good memories.

Wonderful piece Lawrence. Thanks for posting it.
Willie

This is amazing Lawrence. Brings me to the question, what is a good start to explore jazz on the 5-string, coming from bluegrass, do you have any suggestions? I‘d like to stick to the picks and prefer not having to learn plektrum style.

Nice Laurence. Thanks.

Laurence, with this piece you have interpreted a very sophisticated folk music, the so called "manouche", a wonderful blend of gypsy spirit and jazz: it is the best and original European contribution to swing. Your 5-string banjo gives this music an unusual and very captivating timbre: an example that deserves to be followed, as well as a great technical challenge. I can only say that you are very good!!

Thanks Big L. for makin' my Beboppern day, this's such wonderful, beaut, unique playin' mate. ....... Don.   

The first few bars could also, fake as a celtic line--the rest goes into early jazz chords--which dixieland and big band tossed out--this is my taste in jazz--nice music

of course the gypsy jazz is thrown in to your stew also--something I have not delved into yet ,so my thoughts on that are as a bystander---

lazlototh Culloden banjomobob Bill Rogers Pix5String raybob TB4 Don Lewers Tractor1

Thank you very much for the kind words - I am glad you enjoyed it!

pfalzgrass There is not much out there in terms of instructional materials for 5-string jazz. One I hear recommended is from Pat Cloud (Banjola1 on this site). Also, Bill Keith has some books with transcriptions of his tunes (Night in Tunisia for example). You need good knowledge of the fingerboard (chords and scales) and you can try learning jazz melodies and solos from a favored artist (on guitar for instance) and understand the relationship between what is being played and the underlying chords. Good luck!

Django’s first instrument was a banjo… so you are in Perfect style!
Great playing Laurence I’d love to play some violin in this…

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjopaolo

Django’s first instrument was a banjo… so you are in Perfect style!
Great playing Laurence I’d love to play some violin in this…

---

For sure Paolo, I can be Django you can be Stefan!

Thanks so much. The best way I can write a compliment is to say your banjo playing and your arrangement is to say they complement each other. In short, this really “cooks”!!!!

You sound like Marco of the 5-string!

banjopaolo

Great point. I know that many great guitarists were made to start on tenor banjo. Think, Both Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, and Frank Vignola.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Meestro

banjopaolo

Great point. I know that many great guitarists were made to start on tenor banjo. Think, Both Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, and Frank Vignola.

---

John Lennon too... ;-)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Meestro

Thanks so much. The best way I can write a compliment is to say your banjo playing and your arrangement is to say they complement each other. In short, this really “cooks”!!!!

You sound like Marco of the 5-string!

---

Thanks Ernie, that's really the best kind of compliment anyway. Takes into consideration the music as a whole. 

I could not help but chuckle at those guys being "made '' to play tenor banjo--may they reap rewards for their severe early punishment--but yes we all miss Eddy Davis

I believe Eddy produced Frank’s first banjo recording. I will ask his dad, Mike, to make sure this is accurate. It was Eddy who told this to Mee.

Perhaps Marco can add to this, but I have been told that a lot of guitarists of Italian heritage played banjo first because the Italians had played for mandolin for a few centuries. Therefore, they had actual tutors/methods and music to learn tuning in fifths long before the tenor banjo came along. Howard Alden and Frank Vignola still play great tenor banjo.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Meestro

I believe Eddy produced Frank’s first banjo recording. I will ask his dad, Mike, to make sure this is accurate. It was Eddy who told this to Mee.

Perhaps Marco can add to this, but I have been told that a lot of guitarists of Italian heritage played banjo first because the Italians had played mandolin for a few centuries. Therefore, they had actual access tutors/methods and music to learn fifths tuning long before the tenor banjo came along. Howard Alden and Frank Vignola still play great tenor banjo.

---

Laurence,
This is as tasty as lemon-pepper chicken only spicier. You served it up hot and yet very, very cool. At one point, I thought sure I heard Stephane Grapelli in the background. Tremendous, Laurence. I look forward to the next.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Omeboy

Laurence,
This is as tasty as lemon-pepper chicken only spicier. You served it up hot and yet very, very cool. At one point, I thought sure I heard Stephane Grapelli in the background. Tremendous, Laurence. I look forward to the next.

---

Thanks Paul, I always feel like a bit of a gatecrasher coming on this forum despite everyone being very nice about it. Eddy was kind that way too, in response to my occasional post. I miss him. 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laurence Diehl

quote:

---

Originally posted by Omeboy

Laurence,
This is as tasty as lemon-pepper chicken only spicier. You served it up hot and yet very, very cool. At one point, I thought sure I heard Stephane Grapelli in the background. Tremendous, Laurence. I look forward to the next.

---

Thanks Paul, I always feel like a bit of a gatecrasher coming on this forum despite everyone being very nice about it. Eddy was kind that way too, in response to my occasional post. I miss him. 

---

If it serves the music and is play well, I'd be happy to hear it on any instrument. Perhaps not the trombone!????‍??????‍????

quote:

---

Originally posted by Meestro

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laurence Diehl

quote:

---

Originally posted by Omeboy

Laurence,
This is as tasty as lemon-pepper chicken only spicier. You served it up hot and yet very, very cool. At one point, I thought sure I heard Stephane Grapelli in the background. Tremendous, Laurence. I look forward to the next.

---

Thanks Paul, I always feel like a bit of a gatecrasher coming on this forum despite everyone being very nice about it. Eddy was kind that way too, in response to my occasional post. I miss him. 

---

If it serves the music and is played well with taste, I'd be happy to hear it on any instrument, even the kazoo. Perhaps not the trombone!

---