Banjo Bands

[Brian Kimerer]

I recently got a bee in my bonnet and thought it might be fun to start a banjo band.

I Googled "Banjo Bands", but all I found were four string Dixieland bands or bluegrass bands. I would not be interested in that kind of band. I would be more interested in this kind of band.

I am a 5 string player with about 20 years of frailing experience who just started learning Classic Banjo. I know nothing about what those bands played or what they sounded like.

Does anyone here know of any resources I could look at and/or listen to in order to research this further? What was the repertoire?

Thanks,

Brian

[thereallyniceman]

Check out this onsite post:

BANJO CLUBS

I just love the recordings of the London Banjo Club!

[Brian Kimerer]

Thanks for the link. Good stuff!

Maybe I will try the Google for "Banjo Orchestra" and see what comes up.

[Hal Allert]

Brian, I am part of the New Criterion Banjo Orchestra, playing since 1996. We started with 4 members, got up to 5 for awhile, and have now settled down to just 3. 1st, 2nd, and Cello banjo. I have been arranging songs for 3 banjos for some time now so if you need a specific piece let me know.

I am hoping to have a lot of these arrangements available for download when I revamp the Classic Banjo Resource. It is really rewarding when you hear all three instruments playing a tune correctly.

To hear what the different instruments sounded like in an orchestra setting, check out Bruce Burnside's Banjo Orchestra page, Banjo Orchestras.

[David Wade]

Brian,

Only just seen your post - I now hold the library for the Aston Banjo Orchestra which gave up the ghost in the mid to late 90s. Email me off list and I'll send you a copy of the index. Part quality varies from scruffy hand written to CE/Grimshaw printed. 

[Brian Kimerer]

Hal,

Wow. I really dropped the ball on this conversation. I have not had time to visit the page for a while. Sorry for the delay in my response.

I looked at the links. Great stuff. I am just starting out on classic banjo, so I am a rank beginner. I have learned Sunflower Dance almost up to speed, and I am working on Whistling Rufus now. I have no idea what pieces would be good to learn for a band. I like Dill Pickles.

I am a band of one so far, so I am working on solo pieces. If I can find somebody else who is interested in this I will ask for recommendations.

I am in the Boston MA area, and I don't know anybody here that does classic banjo. Not sure how to make that connection.

Thanks for the offer to help.

[Hal Allert]

Brian Kimerer said:

Hal,

Wow. I really dropped the ball on this conversation. I have not had time to visit the page for a while. Sorry for the delay in my response.

I looked at the links. Great stuff. I am just starting out on classic banjo, so I am a rank beginner. I have learned Sunflower Dance almost up to speed, and I am working on Whistling Rufus now. I have no idea what pieces would be good to learn for a band. I like Dill Pickles.

I am a band of one so far, so I am working on solo pieces. If I can find somebody else who is interested in this I will ask for recommendations.

I am in the Boston MA area, and I don't know anybody here that does classic banjo. Not sure how to make that connection.

Thanks for the offer to help.

Brian, Geoff Freed of Black-Tie Banjo fame lives in the Boston Area. His website is blacktiebanjo.com I think.