The Glory-Beaming Banjo

The old-time music community lost one of its biggest champions this week. Kerry Blech died on Monday, Sept. 18, in Gainesville, Florida, and left behind an incredible legacy of musicianship, scholarship and fellowship. Kerry left a lasting impact on those who knew him. Upon learning of his passing, I started to see remembrances of him on Facebook from the likes of Alice Gerrard, Chuck Levy, and many others. I never never met Kerry in person, but even still he had a huge impact on my journey into old-time music.  On the advice of Old-Time Herald editor Sarah Bryan, I began emailing Kerry in January 2018 in my quest to learn more about Ohio's old-time music history  and the Kent State Folk Festival . Not only did he respond, but he provided me with a wealth of information and photos to help me in my research. He also connected with me others to reach out to learn more.  He was an encyclopedia of old-time music knowledge, and he was so generous with his time and willing to ...

During these waning days of 2019, I figured I'd give you one last look back at the year that was. The following are the five most viewed posts of 2019.  Review: Mike Seeger's Just Around the Bend . I'm cheating a bit with this one because this Smithsonian release occupied two of the most popular posts of the year. The actual top post by a couple hundred views was my post announcing that Seeger's final project would be released in August . My review of said CD/DVD/booklet set came in a few slots down the list. Remembering the Kent State Folk Festival . A love letter to a once-popular event for old-time musicians like Tommy Jarrell, Melvin Wine, the Highwoods String Band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and more. And it all happened in my hometown. Remember when I said I was going to write multiple posts on the festival? Me neither.  Review: Anna & Elizabeth, "Hop High"/"Here in the Vineyard." Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrel...

Welcome back to our monthly series about the now-defunct Kent State Folk Festival. Click here if you missed the first installment. I was originally going to provide an early history of the festival this month, but figured I'd take a different approach and recall one specific year that was ... alarming . I finally got around to reading Walt Koken's enjoyable memoir, Fire on the Mountain: An American Odyssey , published in 2017. Here's a quick review: It's a fast and interesting read, but he could have used a better editor. There were a number of spelling and grammar mistakes that, as a professional language-type, were hard for me to ignore. I suppose that's the challenge with self-published books. However, the stories about Koken's early days as a musician, the forming of the Highwoods Stringband and their rambling career provided great insights and plenty of entertainment. I have to thank Lynn Frederick for passing along the book to me. But let's get ba...

Once upon a time, there was a robust folk festival on the campus of Kent State University, in my hometown of Kent, Ohio. I remember going as a kid, and at least once for a school field trip. There were concerts and workshops devoted to all strains of folk music in America and abroad. That was my first exposure to the  Kent State Folk Festival . My fondest memories of the event came much later. I started playing the banjo in 2008, but didn't start focusing on old-time music until 2009. That year, I learned there was a clawhammer banjo workshop in my old hometown at my alma mater by some guy named Mark Olitsky . So I went. And my jaw fell out of my face and hit the ground with a thud of realization that I had A LOT to learn about playing the banjo. The next year, I returned to the Kent State Folk Festival to attend Olitsky's workshop again. By then, I had swapped my resonator banjo for an open-back built by a local maker and had just started attending a local old-time s...

This post began six years ago. After writing about my 10-year banjoversary , I discovered an unfinished draft from 2012. Started as a follow-up to a reflection on my  music listening journey , the post was an attempt to trace my personal banjo playing history. It's about time I finished it. 1994 / Prelude to a Picker:  A high school friend who played bass was convinced I had perfect hands to be a guitarist. My long fingers being perfectly suited for intricate fretting. I got an acoustic guitar for Christmas and began taking lessons. However, I lost interest because I wanted it all now, and I quit after a couple years because I had no patience to learn. 2007 / The Tipping Point:  After becoming obsessed with banjo music, I started researching how to play one and what instrument to buy. March 2008 / Give Me the Banjo: With my tax return, I bought a Recording King "Songster"  and began my journey. I started with Scruggs three-finger style, but started to l...

We're nearing the end of festival season. Mount Airy, Clifftop and Galax have all come and gone. Yet another year that I've stayed home. One of these days I'll get to one of those bigger events. Meanwhile, I made a brief appearance this weekend at my favorite local festival: Raccoon County . Our hero jamming with friends. The Raccoon County Music Festival occurs every August at the Geauga County Century Village Museum in Burton, Ohio. There were a variety of musical acts on two stages, from polka to old-time, as well as some workshops and a square dance at the end of the day. Throughout the grounds, people toured the historical buildings and played games, while others gathered to play music. With only a couple hours to spare, I tested out my new banjo setup among live victims (other than my wife and dog). It's hard to believe it's been more than two months since I've played my banjo with others. My local banjo hero, Mark Olitsky , gave a workshop lat...

The time is nigh, local folk fans. The 46th annual Kent State Folk Festival is this week in Kent, Ohio. Concerts start tonight, while the WKSU Folk Alley 'Round Town is tomorrow night and the free community workshops are Saturday. Banjo and old-time fans should pay particular attention to a few events Friday and Saturday. First, during the 'Round Town on Friday, there is an open old-time jam from 5 to 8 p.m. (or later) at the Euro Gyro, sponsored by the Kent Shindig, a group that gathers monthly every first Sunday. Also of note Friday are performances by old-time banjo player Shelby Bondzio from 3:30 to 5:50 p.m. at Kent Free Library, local old-time musicians Joe LaRose and Lynn Fredrick from 6 to 9 p.m. at Woodsy's Music, and the Mayfields start at 8 p.m. at Standing Rock Cultural Arts. Check the schedule for many others, from a wide range of genres. Saturday's schedule includes clogging workshops by Charlie Burton with music by Marilyn and Tom Lashuay at no...

After finishing my three-part series " Tracing the Banjo Addiction ," I decided to compile my musical listening timeline to show all my shifts in taste over my lifetime. These date ranges are as accurate as I can remember and include my favorite artists at the time. 1979 / I Am Born: Disco tops the charts, New Wave emerges, and Bob Seger pleads for that "Old Time Rock and Roll." 1979-1987 / The Early Years:  Memories of popular hits like the Police's "I'll Be Watching You" and Hall & Oates' "Private Eyes," going to my first Kent State Folk Festival , and my parents' influence of the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, and the "folksingers" of the 1960s. 1986 / First Album: Bon Jovi, "Slippery When Wet," a Christmas gift from my uncle. 1986-1992 / Hair Bands:  Poison, Gun N' Roses, and Aerosmith. 1991 / First Concert:  Beach Boys at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, June 1, 1991. 1992-1993 / Blowing in...

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...