Apologies if this has been discussed in the past. Can anyone recommend some 5-string banjo players who play ITM? I know Bela Fleck has done a bit in the past.
Thanks. Forgot to say that I know about Leon Hunt as well. Taught by Bela Fleck for a while. Have you heard his album Miles Apart? It has a couple of Irish tracks, including the Silver Spire.
whoa! i just tried that link and clearly something went wrong. i thought it went to Tony Furtado's myspace page. Anyway he has published some tunebooks for 5-string banjo that might interest you.
Try looking up a guy called Ken Perlman, he does a lot of southern, American stuff, but he also does a lot of nice traditional maratime stuff. Neither of which are ITM, but it's still definitely both worth a listen.
Tom Hanway literally wrote the book (a book, at least) on Irish & Celtic 5-String (Mel Bay). If the instructional CD included is any indication, he is a superb interpreter/player of ITM on the three-finger style 5-string banjo. His instructional book, if still availabe, is excellent. Last I heard, he was an east-coast U.S. resident, around Jersey/NY. He has several CD's out, and does lots of different very innovative stuff.
There's a cat called Chris Grotewohl who played on a CD with a friend of mine. I know nothing beyond what I've heard on that record, but what I've heard sounds very good. I'd guess he's in the Kansas area, but I wouldn't know for sure. Here's a link that'll give you a taste:
Sorry, the 5 string banjo does not work in I T M....There certainly are very good players who play very good versions of irish tunes, but its not I T M. Personally I enjoy any good music and applaud innovation. I think we are in danger of confusing contemporary musicians playing traditional tunes with tradtional musicians playing traditional music.
.
absolutely agree Diarmuid K. 5 string banjo sounds horrible in a traditional Irish music session. The regular session I attend has several very good 5 stringers who play bluegrass but then they insist in joining in as accompaniment to the trad tunes and it fails miserably and indeed has driven people from the session. No matter how good the player is it just does not work in ITM.
Diarmuid: I suppose you're right. It's always nice to hear traditional tunes played on an unexpected instrument though. I think the 5-string banjo played in the melodic style can play any kind of music in the right hands, especially as a solo instrument.
Molly: that sounds a bit grim. You have 'several' 5-string players who join in the ITM session? Oh dear. I never thought of the 5-string as an ITM session instrument. It's a shame that other players have been driven away. Is there not a bluegrass session nearby?
for those who seem to think the the Banjo is not suited for Irish music, my question is this. Do you search out these threads so you can expose you learned opinion? Or is it the annominity of this site that enboldens you to talk such nonesense? What do you suppose Sweeney, the fellow who put the fifth string on the banjo was playing?
5-string banjo and ITM
5-string banjo and ITM
Apologies if this has been discussed in the past. Can anyone recommend some 5-string banjo players who play ITM? I know Bela Fleck has done a bit in the past.
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Leon Hunt does some cool Irish stuff.
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by tnoumarap
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehSTssRUTRk
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by tnoumarap
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Thanks. Forgot to say that I know about Leon Hunt as well. Taught by Bela Fleck for a while. Have you heard his album Miles Apart? It has a couple of Irish tracks, including the Silver Spire.
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmNhZ2VmcmVlcmVjb3Jkcy5jb20vY2F0YWxvZy90b255ZnVydGFkby5odG1s
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by pipewatcher
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
whoa! i just tried that link and clearly something went wrong. i thought it went to Tony Furtado's myspace page. Anyway he has published some tunebooks for 5-string banjo that might interest you.
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by pipewatcher
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Try looking up a guy called Ken Perlman, he does a lot of southern, American stuff, but he also does a lot of nice traditional maratime stuff. Neither of which are ITM, but it's still definitely both worth a listen.
http://www.kenperlman.com/kpcuts.htm
Try clicking on 'The Brae Reel/The Miramichi Fire. It's my personal favourite.
# Posted on January 10th 2009 by dannym
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Here's a link to an 8 string banjo player! Tom Saffell's the name of the guy playing, great stuff.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7pCR26yOc&feature=related
# Posted on January 11th 2009 by T
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Tom Hanway literally wrote the book (a book, at least) on Irish & Celtic 5-String (Mel Bay). If the instructional CD included is any indication, he is a superb interpreter/player of ITM on the three-finger style 5-string banjo. His instructional book, if still availabe, is excellent. Last I heard, he was an east-coast U.S. resident, around Jersey/NY. He has several CD's out, and does lots of different very innovative stuff.
# Posted on January 11th 2009 by ayedbl
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
There's a cat called Chris Grotewohl who played on a CD with a friend of mine. I know nothing beyond what I've heard on that record, but what I've heard sounds very good. I'd guess he's in the Kansas area, but I wouldn't know for sure. Here's a link that'll give you a taste:
http://irish5string.homestead.com/sunrush.html
# Posted on January 11th 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Sorry, the 5 string banjo does not work in I T M....There certainly are very good players who play very good versions of irish tunes, but its not I T M. Personally I enjoy any good music and applaud innovation. I think we are in danger of confusing contemporary musicians playing traditional tunes with tradtional musicians playing traditional music.
.
# Posted on January 12th 2009 by diarmuid k
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
What confusion?
By the way, everyone playing today is a contemporary musician.
# Posted on January 12th 2009 by Bren
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Thanks for the suggestions. Very entertaining. I loved that 8-string banjo.
# Posted on January 12th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
absolutely agree Diarmuid K. 5 string banjo sounds horrible in a traditional Irish music session. The regular session I attend has several very good 5 stringers who play bluegrass but then they insist in joining in as accompaniment to the trad tunes and it fails miserably and indeed has driven people from the session. No matter how good the player is it just does not work in ITM.
# Posted on January 13th 2009 by MollyB
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
Diarmuid: I suppose you're right. It's always nice to hear traditional tunes played on an unexpected instrument though. I think the 5-string banjo played in the melodic style can play any kind of music in the right hands, especially as a solo instrument.
Molly: that sounds a bit grim. You have 'several' 5-string players who join in the ITM session? Oh dear. I never thought of the 5-string as an ITM session instrument. It's a shame that other players have been driven away. Is there not a bluegrass session nearby?
# Posted on January 13th 2009 by Joel McDermott
Re: 5-string banjo and ITM
for those who seem to think the the Banjo is not suited for Irish music, my question is this. Do you search out these threads so you can expose you learned opinion? Or is it the annominity of this site that enboldens you to talk such nonesense? What do you suppose Sweeney, the fellow who put the fifth string on the banjo was playing?
# Posted on February 2nd 2009 by stewart d.