Tag Archives: clawhammer banjo

Skipping Rocks

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Regarded as one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players and old-time fiddlers in the US, Baltimore’s Ken Kolodner has joined forces with his son Brad Krachel3olodner, a rising star in the clawhammer banjo world (Charm City Junction) to perform tight and musical arrangements of original and traditional old-time music with a “creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation.”

This father/son duo will be joined on stage by fiddle player and vocalist Rachel Eddy who spends her time between Morgantown, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, PA and Washington, DC.

Chestnut House Concerts welcomes the Kolodners and Rachel Eddy to their house concert series on Saturday, November, 5, 2016.  Potluck at 6 pm, Music at 7 pm.  Recommended donation of 15/20 per person; Contact Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com to make reservations or call/text 7179409311.

The Honey Dewdrops

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The Honey Dewdrops officially formed in 2007 and started receiving national attention one year later when, on a whim, they submitted an entry to Prairie Home Companion’s Talent Contest – and won. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish offer tight harmonies, a love for songwriting, and instrumentation that includes clawhammer banjo, mandolin and guitars.  Their first recording was in 2009 and in May, 2015 they released their 4th album “Tangled Country”.

Join the audience at Chestnut House Concerts on Saturday, November 14, 2015 to hear The Honey Dewdrops – potluck at 6 pm, music at 7 pm.  Contact Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com or call/text 717940 9311.

“Their talent is such that it’s quite possible that a new band recording in the year 2020 might cite the Honey Dewdrops as a prime influence.”- BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED MAGAZINE

Banjo = Rhythm, Melody & Harmony

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Musician Evie Ladin has lived in California since 2000 although she was raised in New York and became familiar with Old Time Music through her father’s love for the New Lost City Ramblers. Evie’s family hosted musicians when she was a young girl and her father bought her a banjo after John Cohen had been at their home and suggested the banjo as an instrument for her. Evie’s first banjo teacher was Bob Carlin and she learned the claw-hammer style of playing.

Evie lists Clarence Ashley and Kyle Creed, banjo players from the early-mid 1900s, as well as contemporary players Richie Stearns and Travis Stuart as artists who influenced her style.  Evie describes the banjo as rhythm, melody and harmony. Evie and Keith Terry are touring the East Coast and will play at Chestnut House Concerts on Wednesday, October 1, 2014.  It’s a weeknight so take advantage of bringing something to share at the potluck at 6:00 pm so you don’t have to make dinner. The show will begin at 7:00 pm.

The following is a video of Evie singing one of her original tunes, “Floating Downstream”.

RSVP by contacting Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com or by phone/text at 717-940-9311.

Catch the Synergy of Old Buck on April 19th

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On Saturday, April 19th Old Buck will be at Chestnut House Concerts. From 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm there will be fiddle, banjo and singing/harmony workshops led by individuals from the band.

 

 

Old-Time Fiddle with Emily SchaadImage
April 19, 2014, 3:00 pm  – 4:30 pm,  @ It’s Modern Art, 529 W Chestnut Street, Lancaster, Pa.

This fiddle workshop will be focused around learning to play a southern old-time tune with style. We will talk about bowing techniques and patterns used to give rhythmic drive, syncopation, and flow as we encounter them in our tune, and choices that can be made while developing repertoire or while playing. A recording device is recommended.

 

 

 

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Southern Mountain Clawhammer Banjo with Riley Baugus
April 19, 2014, 3:00 pm  – 4:30 pm,  @ It’s Modern Art, 529 W Chestnut Street, Lancaster, Pa.
In this workshop, we’ll cover lots of techniques to improve your playing and hopefully help you figure out what you’re hearing on recordings and from other players. We’ll learn a tune as context. The main style we’ll focus on is Round Peak Style from Surry County in North Carolina, but we’ll look at how this style differs from others.
Singing and Harmony Workshop with Debra Clifford and Sabra Guzmán  April 19, 2014, 3:00 pm  – 4:30 pm,  @ Chestnut House Concerts  603 W Chestnut Street, Lancaster, Pa.
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Grabbing from early Country Music groups such as the Carter Family, E.C. & Orna Ball and the Delmore Brothers, we will work on how to best find the harmonies that fit for not only this genre of music but also for your voice and your singing partner. We will look at how harmony and melodies can best complement each other by listening to and learning songs that are in the American Folk Canon.
Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  Each of these musicians is a powerhouse by her/himself and the workshops held on Saturday will culminate in an evening concert by Old Buck that you won’t want to miss.
All workshops are $20.00. To register for a workshop contact Old Buck at oldbuckmusic@gmail.com.  Neal Pressley will be the host at It’s Modern Art and Neal can be reached at nealpressley@comcast.net.
The house concert is a recommended donation of $15/20.  To RSVP for the house concert contact Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com for call/text 717-940-9311.  Registering for the workshops does not automatically sign you up for the house concert, and house concert seating is limited. As usual there will be a potluck at 6:00 pm preceding the show.

10 String Symphony – Rachel Baiman & Christian Sedelmyer

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January 21, 2014 proved to be one of those snowy winter days when no one could get around on the roads except for the US postal workers, and in the early afternoon the dog and I met the mailman on one of our walks.  He delivered to me Speakeasy Man, Rachel Baiman’s newly released CD and the next hour was spent absorbing the new music and some hot cocoa in front of the fireplace.

This CD was one of several Kickstarter projects that Tim and I have backed, and as has been our experience with the others, we were extremely pleased with the sound of the final product. Half of the recording took place in Scotland and half in Nashville. Rachel brought together some amazing talent for the foundation of this album including Dave Goldenberg (mandolin), Andrew Small (upright bass), Matheu Watson (guitar, mandola, vocals), Dan Watkins ( guitar), Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion) and Christian Sedelmyer (fiddle).

The songs are a mixture of originals and covers; my favorite cover being the best version of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s See That My Grave is Kept Clean that I have heard. A few guest appearances on individual songs include the great Nathaniel Smith on cello (Natalie MacMaster, Jeremy Kittel, and Sarah Jarosz), Shelby Means on bass and backing vocals (Della Mae), Phil Cunningham on accordion and Brittany Haas on fiddle.

DSC5278-even-smallerRachel will be at Chestnut House Concerts on Friday, April 4, 2014 along with Christian Sedelmyer performing as 10 String Symphony. 10 String Symphony released their first album in November 2012, their instrumentation has expanded from 2 5-string fiddles to include the occasional clawhammer banjo and resonator mandolin, though still maintaining a stripped down, tightly woven and carefully arranged duo sound. They are on tour with Tattletale Saints from New Zealand and each band will take a set and also play a few songs as a 4 piece.

Potluck at 6 pm, Show at 7 pm. To save a seat for the show, contact Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com or call/text 717-940-9311.

 

 

Don’t fear the banjo…

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When I saw the April Verch Band on Sunday in Harrisburg, I thought I would miss the upright bass when player Cody Walters put it to the side to pick up his banjo for a few songs. Clawhammer banjo is a style of playing, and Cody is perfecting this skill as he adds banjo to April’s fiddle and Hayes Griffin’s guitar. I didn’t miss the bass – the banjo adds a variety of tones and different rhythm to the band’s sound. The show is a perfect blend of music, dance and storytelling.  If you’ve signed up, you’re in for a treat.  If not – we’ll try to book them the next time they pass by.