The Glory-Beaming Banjo

The 45th annual Kent State Folk Festival kicks off tonight with a performance by the Carolina Chocolate Drops and will wrap up Sunday with a concert by Peter Yarrow, of the legendary folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. The real fun will be Friday's Folk Alley 'Round Town , with free performances by a variety of musical acts around downtown Kent, Ohio, and the free community workshops Saturday at the KSU Student Center. The 'Round Town and workshops will provide a number of opportunities for enthusiasts of old-time music and the banjo to watch, listen, and play. On Friday, you can participate in the Kent Shindig old-time jam from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Europe Gyro. This is the group your host regularly jams with every first Sunday of the month. They're a welcoming group, so don't be shy. From 7 to 9 p.m., you can swing over to Woodsy's Music to catch Brady's Run, a local string band that includes Lynn Frederick and Sue Goehring. Also of interest are the Mayfie

It's been more than three weeks since the last post here at Glory-Beaming Banjo. Clearly, we're in need of some updates. Here's what we've been up to: As for some local news, the GBB team attended the Raccoon County Music Festival , in Burton, Ohio, for the first time. Master banjo-smith Doug Unger presented a workshop and performance, which was a real treat, as these hands finally got a chance to hold one of his amazing instruments, sealing the desire to one day own one. Earlier this month, an article about Riley Baugus , written by yours truly, was sent off to Dan Levenson for an upcoming edition of The Old-Time Way in the Banjo Newsletter . We mentioned Craig "Frailin" Evans' documentary project , Conversations With North American Banjo Builders, back in June. Volume 1, a three-disc set that features builders from east of the Mississippi River (plus one in Texas), is now available for purchase at the project's website . You can also view a