The Banjo-centric Blog

More Bluegrass in Moscow

Events, News Comments Off

Apr 182012

Playing some bluegrass style banjo with Moscow’s The Red Brick Boys.

2 Bluegrass-Americana sets
1 Irish-Celtic set with guest musicians
1 solo “Banjo-centric” set by Yours Truly

Venue:
“Dom y Dorogi” (‘Road House’ club ) Located on 2nd floor of the Rythm’n'Blues Cafe)

Address:
Starovagankovsky Pereulok 19, Building 2. Metro Aleksandrovsky Garden, Metro Biblioteka im. Lenina.

View Larger Map

Time:
20:30 – 11:00

Tickets: 300 RUR

Bring a print of this image, get in for 1/2 price:

Click for large image - download, print, present at the door for 50% off admission

Coffee Achievers, Ronnie Raygun, Miami Vice, Yuppies, Doin’ Cocaine

New song release, News Comments Off

Apr 012012

Coffee Achievers, Ronnie Raygun, Miami Vice, Yuppies, Doin' Cocaine

The 1980′s. Remember? Designer version of the 1950s? Miami Vice pink and aqua everywhere you looked? Ronald Raygun the Sincere? Coffee Achievers? Iran-Contra? De Lorean? Yuppies? Cocaine? I’m old enough to remember that decade when cocaine became the recreational pharmaceutical of fashion (though I’d rather forget most of it). One thing about it I had managed to totally forget was this song, which I most likely wrote as a result of the onset of middle-age. Oddly, it was the untimely [more...]

So long and thanks for all the music

News Comments Off

Mar 292012

New York Girls – Irish clawhammer banjo?

New song release, News 1 Response »

Mar 042012

New York Girls - Irish clawhammer banjo?

And now for something completely different… for me anyway. I’ve been a 3-finger Bluegrass-style banjo picker for, well, close to forever now. But in recent years I found myself attracted by the sound of old-time open-back banjos and the so called “clawhammer” or “frailing” style of playing . So I let myself succumb to a bout of BAS (Banjo Acquisition Syndrome) and found a nice 1920′s vintage tenor banjo (4 strings) and had a new 5-string neck made for it [more...]

Way Downtown – downtown Moscow, that is!

Things Musical, Video 2 Responses »

Jan 232012

Way Downtown - downtown Moscow, that is!

When I first came to St. Petersburg back in 1996, I found just about every genre of American music well known and being played actively… except Bluegrass. Today, it’s still taking baby steps but bluegrass music in Russia is definitely starting to happen. Last October (2011) I was invited by one of Russia’s most active bluegrass bands, The Red Brick Boys from Moscow, to sit in for a concert. It was held in the showrooms of a very nice acoustic [more...]

Kicking off the new year with a freebie

New song release, News, Video Comments Off

Jan 112012

Well, the Time Machine has buzzed us into a new year. To get things started, here’s a primitive little video of my Banjo-centric arrangement of a traditional American song… just another of hundreds of variations out there. After the video, I’ve got a special limited-time freebie for you. And now, the freebie If you liked this arrangement of “Pretty Little Black-eyed Suzanne” you can download a free audiophile quality recording of it using the links below. Because these are BIG [more...]

Banjo-centric Season’s Greetings

New song release, News, Uncategorized, Video 1 Response »

Dec 102011

Well it’s been an interesting year in many ways, and with all the furor surrounding the parliamentary elections in Russia, the year end and the new year are going to be more interesting still. Amid the many things working to divide us, music is one thing that can transcend our differences and bring us together in a very human way. Here at the end of another year is a little song of mine which I hope will brighten your year-end [more...]

Russian rock – on the banjo!

Video 2 Responses »

Dec 012011

Who but yours truly would be fool enough to conceive it, let alone attempt it? Thanks to the folks at the U.S. Consulate, St. Petersburg who caught this clip of my banjo-centric arrangement of the classic Russian rock song “Eto Vsyo” (“That’s All”), written by the “godfather of Russian rock-n-roll”, Yuri Shevchuk, leader of the Russian rock group “DDT”. Shot during my sound check at the 2011 Russia America Bluegrass Jamboree, Vologda Russia, this is just a short clip of [more...]

An Avian Thanksgiving Lament

New song release, News Comments Off

Nov 182011

Well, I should have been blogging “regular” but fact is, I don’t see the point in bloggin’ for the sake of bloggin’, and I haven’t had much to say. There was summer in NW Russia, and you don’t spend time indoors staring at a computer if you can help it. The all to short summer gave way to fall, and although I’ve done a lot in the ol’ home recording studio, I’ve not been feeling good about what’s coming out. [more...]

Vote for the banjo guy!

News, Things Musical Comments Off

Sep 022011

Well it seems I missed blogging for all of August. I plead Summer at 59+ degrees north latitude. It’s fleeting, and one doesn’t spend time messing with computers if one can help it. The long dark winter ahead will provide time enough. So… onward! Beginning Friday Sept. 2 at 3:00 pm EST (21:00 CET, 23:00 Moscow) you and your friends can VOTE FOR MY SONG “Oohdaloddie-A” at: http://www.toginet.com/shows/daytimewithdonna Vote as many times as you like until Wed. Sept. 7, 3:00 [more...]

Older Entries

Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha