Here in the
Pacific Northwest we’re a long way from Southern Appalachia, but over the next
ten days you can experience some of that region’s
musical heritage presented by an amazingly talented musician who truly knows what it’s all about. Dan
Levenson, a master of Old Time fiddle and clawhammer banjo styles will be in Vancouver, Washington, Sept. 27-28 and in Seattle Oct. 3-6
(See more below.) For a sample of true Old Time clawhammer style, listen to him play an old tune called "Forked Deer" on an 1865 banjo by clicking here.
Or maybe you'd prefer fiddle.
Dan Levenson is a
favorite among fans of this music, voted one of the top ten clawhammer banjo
players in the country by readers of Banjo Newsletter Magazine. It’s no wonder.
His extraordinary musicianship, knowledge of authentic Old Time styles, and ability to teach others keep him
in demand around the country and even beyond its borders. That’s why you won’t
want to miss hearing him play during this visit our corner of America.
Dan will be
conducting workshops and private lessons for players of both banjo and fiddle
as well as presenting his popular concert program called “An Evening With Dan Levenson,” a great show for anyone to enjoy, musician or not. It includes
fiddle, banjo, guitar, songs, stories, and even dance.
If you can't make it to a concert or workshop, you can order his recordings and instructional materials on the "Products" page of his website.
After delighting
folks in Eugene, Oregon, last weekend, Dan will appear next in Vancouver, at
Kennedy Violins, located at 508 SE 117th Street. His 7 p.m. concert on Friday,
Sept. 27, will be followed by two workshops on Saturday. See the Kennedy Violins website for more information and tickets.
Then, dust off your banjo or fiddle and come on over to one of my favorite places, Dusty Strings in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, for weekend packed with learning.
As vacation destinations go, you might not have considered staying in old barracks at historic Fort Flagler State Park, near Nordland, WA, but I'm counting the days until I pack up my beloved Ome 5-string banjo and head in that direction to attend the American Banjo Camp once again. It takes place there Sept. 7-9 this year, with an optional extra day available on Sept. 6.
ABC 2011 L to R: Mac Benford, Jere Canote, Tom Sauber, Greg Canote
photo by Candace J. Brown
As soon as cars roll into the graveled parking lot, doors open, out come the banjos, and the camp chairs hit the grass. The music begins even before the hands-on classes, concerts, and organized jam sessions— even before the gourmet food. I'll hear a mixture of Bluegrass and Old Time. The two styles and their enthusiasts might differ in some ways, but you'll never find a more congenial bunch of musicians, all thrilled to play music together. Banjos dominate the scene, but this camp also features guitar and fiddle tracks.
ABC 2011 Mac Benford photo by Candace J. Brown
The American Banjo Camp came about because masterful musicians and instructors Peter Langston and Ken Perlman wanted their shared vision of musical bliss to manifest. This is the same Peter Langston behind the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, now nearly four decades old and so popular that anyone interested in attending had better get on the waiting list, now. And Ken Perlman is famous as a pioneer of the 5-string banjo style called melodic clawhammer. You can listen to a sample here. Both are involved with running several camps and are hired to teach at others.
Professional banjoist and folk singer Barry Luft from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
photo by Candace J. Brown
Langston told me in an e-mail, "In part, the camp began because Ken and I saw an opportunity to try out wild ideas for one-of-a kind banjo classes in a 51-hour format, including 75 classes, 26 jams, six gourmet meals, two all-star concerts, and two optional sleep periods...all in one weekend!"
Notice that sleep is optional. Even though I can't imagine a more peaceful and serene setting in which to get some rest, when banjo players get together they want to make the most of the opportunity to jam, learn new tunes and skills, share licks and tricks, and socialize. Attendees at all skill levels can find classes just right for them.
Sunrise at Fort Flaggler Sept. 2011 photo by Candace J. Brown
Considering that people come from far and wide, even foreign countries, I feel so lucky that I can drive less than two hours from home and find myself in another world, studying under a faculty of amazing teachers from all over the nation, including Seattle's most famous twin brothers, Jere and Greg Canote. I'm delighted to know that this year, David Keenan is one of the instructors on guitar.
What a rare opportunity the American Banjo Camp offers, and the idea of bringing together such a high quality staff helped motivate Langston and Perlman to start this event.
Exquisite inlay work on this banjo
photo by Candace J. Brown
"We also noticed that nowhere in the Pacific Northwest could one find banjo classes taught by world-renowned banjo artists," Langston added, "so we set about remedying that situation."
I'm so glad they did. I'll report back in a future blog post with photos and video. Meanwhile, if you've ever thought about learning blue grass or clawhammer banjo, consider coming to camp. I'd love to meet you there.
And remember...
"The ability to play the banjo soon places one in a position to pick and choose among scores of social invitations. Everywhere, the banjoist is assured of a hearty welcome."
-1927 Gibson catalogue
Here are some testimonials from others, courtesy of the American Banjo Camp.
I am a first time attendee and an absolutely raw beginner banjo player. I
have always loved bluegrass and decided with my work schedule slowing down
it was time to transition from loving to playing. I thought the camp would
be a good way to 'kick start' my learning and I was right. As such a raw
beginner I struggled to keep up at times in the class with all the quick
learnings coming my way, but when I got home and picked up the banjo to
practice those lessons I had a sudden breakthrough and could put 'all the
elements' together. Next year I hope I won't scare off the wildlife at
camp while practicing on the bluff!
Thanks to everyone for such an
easy and fun time. Linda Cheever Mercer
Island _______________________________ Imagine being able to choose from a
smorgasbord of workshops on every conceivable topic. I found myself changing
my selections depending upon what I learned at the workshops I had taken and
thinking ahead to what I wanted to take home. I found all the workshops very
helpful - even when I was skilled in the basic techniques being taught, it
was the subtleties of the style or the approach taken in the class that was
enlightening. There were times when I wanted to go to two or more workshops
at the same time - I just made a choice and told myself that I would just
have to come back next year!
Del Meidinger Victoria
BC _______________________________ The American Banjo Camp? Sure,
you're on an island off the tip of the Olympic Peninsula, but you're removed
in space and time, maybe to the hills of Kentucky, on the front porch of a
cabin, maybe, the sun going down, a fiddle and a banjo . . . It's
the music. Playing the banjo under the watchful eye of instructors like Mac
Benford, learning "That's My Rabbit, My Dog Caught It." Bob Carlin asking
"Jane, why'd you lift your third finger off that string?" Ken Perlman
pointing out the place on the tab when I'd wandered off course. If you want
attentive instruction, you really get your money's worth at this
camp. Then there's the opportunity to hear these banjo legends perform,
and if you're lucky you can do so from the front row of the old wooden
auditorium in the company of a hundred-thirty other enthralled campers. I'm
sorry for anyone who didn't get to hear Mac's narrative about the time he
undertook to raise chickens. I'm just saying. Go there next year!
You'll see.
Jane Viehl Portland,
OR _______________________________ It's often been said that if one wants
to learn a foreign language effectively you should travel to that country
for a full immersion experience. With regard to the banjo, that's exactly
what I found at the American Banjo Camp. The quality of
instruction/instructors and the full immersion experience helped me overcome
long standing obstacles and move my playing to the next level. I'll be back
next year!
Denny Huffman Ridgefield,
WA _______________________________ I've just returned home from my
very first American Banjo Camp experience, and as someone who has attended
both art and music camps for over twenty years now, I can say with
authority, ABC was a top-of-the-line experience! Just reading the brochure,
I was amazed at the line up of instructors, people who are world class
players and influential in the music world. I couldn't wait to hear them in
person. Over the weekend of concerts, classes, jams and just hanging around
playing, I was amazed at everyone's level of professionalism, skill, talent,
and teaching ability. In addition, everyone was friendly and
accessible...and just plain fun to hang out with. Now I'm a guitar
player, not a banjo player, but I love hearing banjo music, particularly
hard-driving bluegrass style, so I signed up for camp hoping just to play
rhythm for anyone who wanted to practice their banjo skills. But this year a
guitar strand had been added, and the classes were excellent. So I couldn't
be a rhythm slave for the weekend. I was too busy expanding my guitar
skills! My favorite...my absolute favorite activities...of the whole
weekend were the 8 or 9 different jams scheduled in the evenings after the
concerts. These jams were cleverly organized by genre (old time, bluegrass,
vocalists) and skill level (beginning, advanced, open) and each jam was led
by an instructor . We could all pick the perfect jam for our interests and
skills, and the instructors were, of course, terrific at facilitating the
music. I had some of the best jamming I've ever had, and boy, is that a fun
thing to experience!
The choice of being able to arrive at camp a
day early was also an added attraction for me. I was glad the extra day was
available and that I could take advantage of it. Fort Flagler is a good
site, and while we had perfect weather, I could see that if that northwest
rain had blown in, we'd still have good spots to get inside and play to our
hearts content.
ABC is a great camp and I recommend it highly! It is
definitely on my calendar for next year. I look forward to being surrounded
by 130 plus banjo players... Really! I do!
