Skip to main content

Top 5 Glory-Beaming Posts of 2020: Interviews, Tributes and the Pandemic

This has been a low production year. I can't see myself putting together a post that will top any of the posts that have already been published here in 2020. I'm always thankful for those of you who continue to visit this site and read my ramblings about banjo, fiddle and my adventures in old-time music. 

I'm all ready to reflect on what can be reflected upon and move on to 2021. The following are the top viewed posts of 2020. 

Sustainable Banjos: An Interview with Pisgah Banjos Founder Patrick Sawyer

By far the most popular post this year, this interview was published the week after I started working from home for what I thought would be a short-term period. I think Pisgah Banjos is making some of the best banjos available today. Patrick was a very interesting interview, and here's a belated congratulations, as he and his wife welcomed their son in August. 

5 Years, 5 Questions: Talking to Laura Lewis About the Lake Erie Folk Festival

Here we have an interview and preview of the last in-person festival I attended. With how things are going, I doubt they'll be able to host the sixth annual Lake Erie Festival in February next year. This little festival has become one of my favorite events, and something to look forward to during the frigid Northeast Ohio winters. 

RIP Mac Benford (1940-2020) and Clyde Davenport (1921-2020)

Serving as a harbinger for what this year would bring us, we lost two old-time legends in February. Mac Benford, the great banjo player for the Highwoods Stringband, and Clyde Davenport, the brilliant fiddler and banjo player, died over the same weekend. 

Virtual jam. 

Interview: Greg Galbreath on the New Standard Models from Buckeye Banjos

Buckeye Banjos closed its custom banjo order list a couple years ago. As banjo builder and proprietor Greg Galbreath caught up on his orders, he developed a series of standard models that he is now offering customers.  

Going Virtual: Old-Time Music in the Time of COVID-19

A sign of the times, this was how we adjusted to the pandemic. Online festivals, virtual workshops and jam sessions over Zoom. Will we get to meet in person in 2021? 

Thank you again for reading The Glory-Beaming Banjo. I'll have couple more "year in review" posts in the following weeks. I'm looking forward to 2021 for many reasons, but one is because it marks the 10-year anniversary of this blog. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ultimate Banjo Joke Compendium

This post is dedicated to my friend Joel Specht. Ever since the Olitsky & Moskovitz concert last month, my son has been obsessed with banjo jokes. During one of the MANY tuning breaks, they asked the crowd to fill the time by telling their favorite quips about the old five-string. Joel told many that night. I've been trying to remember them, along with best ones I've heard over the years for when my son asks again, so I thought I'd make this list. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and an onion? Answer: Nobody cries when you cut up a banjo. Question: How do you know if the floor is level? Answer: The banjo player is drooling out of both sides of his mouth. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and trampoline? Answer: You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline. Question: What's the definition of perfect pitch? Answer: When you can throw a banjo into a dumpster without hitting the sides. Question: How do yo
8 comments
Click to continue »

Clawhammer Picks and You: A Review

Clawhammer picks are a useful tool for increasing volume or to overcome fingernail challenges, such as broken, too short or weak nails. There are all sorts of commercial and homemade solutions available for banjo players, but it can be difficult to decide which options to choose. Thankfully, I've already done some of the work for you. Just to be clear, I prefer my natural fingernail for frailing. However, there was a time when I experimented with regularly using a pick, and there are instances now where I find that a pick is necessary. Today, I'll take you through the five options I've tried. These are all available online at prices ranging from about $1 to $13. Reversed/Reshaped Dunlop Pick ($0.75) This was the most common suggestion before other companies started addressing the gap in the clawhammer pick market. Take a bluegrass pick, flatten it out and wear it backwards. The problem is that it's hard to get the fit right. While Dunlop picks are cheap and r
8 comments
Click to continue »

Summer Blockbusters: Top 10 Banjo Movies

We’re nearing the end of the summer movie season, which this year has included blockbusters like Avengers: Infinity War , Solo: A Star Wars Story , Incredibles 2 and other movies, including some that weren’t produced by Disney. However, none of these films showcases a banjo in any way. It's not like the banjo hasn't been featured on the silver screen throughout film history. The five-string has starred in numerous movies, sometimes in its proper context as a musical instrument and other times as a comedic prop. Whether making a cameo or starring in the hands of the main character, it's well past time to present my Top 10 Banjo Blockbusters: O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, this movie sucked me into the realm of old-time , bluegrass and country music in general. The banjo is featured in a number of songs on the soundtrack and shows up on screen a few times throughout the movie. Top Banjo Moment: Delmar picks the banjo b
5 comments
Click to continue »