First Banjola Session!

Brought my new banjola to work today and had an opportunity to play it on a track being recorded by Adam Crossley for his soon to be released album. I also did banjo and mandolin on the track. The tune was in E major so I tuned the banjola to the regular C tuning (GGCGCD), tuned the low string down to F and then capoed up to the fourth fret. I then tuned the drone string to F# ( kind of by accident) and proceeded to play in E!

You can check out Adam at:

www.myspace.com/adamcrossley

and

www.adamcrossley.com

These photos show my Gibson mandolin, purchased in Philadelphia in 1977 and my old Stewart banjo which I got around the same time. All of these instruments came to me through my friendship with Edward!

Arrival!

Looking somewhat like the monolith from 2001:A Space Odessey my banjola arrived in a big box from Denver this past Friday. I unpacked it and started playing it in between making dinner! It's an all round beauty! Sounds and looks amazing! Over the weekend I had a chance to pick it up and play it. I even composed a little instrumental ditty on it! I tried a few tunings other than the standard C tuning (GGCGCD) that I remembered from the jam sessions I had in Denver during Banjolafest including one where the low G string in dropped down to F and also a G tuning very similar to open G on a guitar. It's a ton of fun!

Patiently Awaiting Canada's First "Original" Banjola!

How exciting! I spoke today to my old friend Edward, creator and builder of "The Original Banjola" about the imminent arrival of my very own banjola. It should arrive by the end of the week! Of course there will probably be the usual duties and customs etc. but I can't wait to get my hands on it. Edward and I decided that he should make one for me when I was down in Denver this summer for the first ever Colorado Banjolafest! Edward invited me down to both play and be the M.C. The one day festival took place near Denver on a beautiful property in Hygiene Colorado. The property was the home of one of the performers, Steve Mullins. He and his wife had graciously offered their location for the festival. Also performing were the amazing Grammy Award winning guitarist/banjolaist Al Petteway, Aaron O'Rourke a young dulcimur/banjola phenom from Florida, Tracy Leveque a transplanted Louisiana resident, and Edward himself. Go to http://www.banjolafest.com to find out more about the festival.

Edward has made three other instruments for me a steel string guitar, a nylon string guitar, and a dulcilyn, an early precurser to the banjola. Go to http://www.evd303.com to find out more about Edward and his career as instrument builder, luthier, and teacher! I've known Edward since 1976 when he owned and operated Ed's Music Workshop in Peterborough Ontario. I started out as a costumer, graduated to apprentice and band mate, and eventually landed as life long friend and golfing buddy!

So here I am in Toronto awaiting my banjola! All you banjo players and adventurous guitarists eat your heart out. When you see and hear this instrument you are going to wish you were me!