Deering Live

Jayme Stone is a banjo player, composer, producer, and educator. On any given day, you might find him in his studio reworking a little-known hymn learned from a field recording, producing a session with musicians from Bamako or New York, creating experimental soundscapes.

Stone has developed a process of trawling for understudied sounds in the more arcane corners of the world to see how they’ll land in his musical universe. His many collaborators have included Margaret Glaspy, Moira Smiley, Tim O’Brien, Bruce Molsky, Julian Lage, Dom Flemons, Bassekou Kouyate, and more. Guided by his own aesthetic compass and a desire to let his collaborators “make the sounds that only they know how to make”.

Fellow musicians frequently seek Stone’s advice, keen to discover how he’s managed to craft a career that both hews closely to his creative vision and finds success in the world.

The always amazing Jens Kruger joins us to celebrate our 100th episode to answer your questions and to talk about anything and everything banjo!

We will also be inviting 3 guests to ask their questions to Jens live in the Deering Live studio, as well as hang out before the show goes live.

Deering Live is honored to host the Steve Martin Banjo Prize 2023!

Jamie and David from Deering Live will be joined by special guest Alison Brown as we reveal the 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize winners.

This episode of Deering Live is presented by the Freshgrass Foundation, The Steve Martin Charitable Foundation, and Compass Records.

Special thanks to Tom Adler ( @BanjoChief ) for the use of the Boone Creek video, originally filmed and broadcast by Kentucky Education Televion (KET). Filmed in 1977 at Diner's Playhouse, Lexington, KY, Thank you, Tom!

https://freshgrassfoundation.org

https://compassrecords.com

https://www.deeringbanjos.com/blogs/deering-live

Yasmin Williams hails from Virginia and is a multi-instrumentalist and film composer. She is best known on social media as @guitar.yaz where her 22,000 fans are constantly treated to beautiful and joyful renditions in her own unique style, often on her Goodtime Americana banjo.

Always smiling, Yasmin has received critical acclaim from numerous major publications including The New York Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and others. Yasmin was also listed as one of the “25 New and Rising Artists Shaping the Future of Music in 2023” by Pitchfork.

For more information https://www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com/biography.

Rex McGee is one of the most creative and technically able players of the 5-string banjo alive today, though his non-musical career as a pharmacist has kept him largely anonymous from a larger audience.

Rex McGee is known by 3-finger style banjo players all over the world as a leading innovator for the instrument. He holds a high reputation amongst his musical peers and this extends to other instruments including fiddle and guitar. His performance skills are complimented by his creative composing and sought-after teaching skills.

He has played a number of the most prestigious performing arts centers and festival stages in the country including Telluride and Merlefest, and festivals in Canada and Ireland.

There is a cult following for his 2001 record “24 Creations For Solo Banjo”. An incredible piece of work that is a must-listen for any fan of modern acoustic instrumental music and showcases what a solo 5-string banjo can really do.

Rex was a mentor for 3-finger banjo wiz Ryan Cavanaugh. Ryan says ”I wouldn’t be the player I am today if it weren’t for him.”

This week on Deering Live, we're excited to introduce you to the incredible talent of Gabe Hirshfeld, a prominent 5-string banjo player hailing from the Boston area.

Beyond his remarkable banjo performances in the Boston scene, Gabe is also renowned for his expertise in banjo setup and holds a profound knowledge of the instrument's history and intricacies.

Join us for a captivating conversation with Gabe, where you can bring your banjo-related inquiries, as he's sure to offer valuable insights and expertise.

This week we will be talking all things New Orleans tenor banjo with our very own Director of Marketing, David Bandrowski. We will talk about his beginnings as a tenor player in New Orleans, the role of the instrument in jazz, as well as other genres. We will even dig into a few fundamental lessons on the instrument.

David also has a phenomenal album out called French Onion Superman which is well worth checking out if you want to hear New Orleans jazz banjo in action.

So if you are interested in New Orleans Tenor Banjo and don’t know where to start…start here!

Head over to davidbrandrowski.com to learn more.

We are excited to feature Deering Banjo artist and 2023 IBMA Banjo Player Of the Year Kristin Scott Benson back on Deering Live to talk about Up The Neck backup playing.

Kristin is one of the best straight-ahead bluegrass banjo players that has ever played the instrument and she is a fantastic teacher so don’t miss out on this opportunity to listen to her play and talk about what she does.

In this week’s show we’ll be talking with Chris Coole about some clawhammer banjo techniques to bring your playing to another level. 

These techniques will help you create and play different rhythms other than the standard bump-ditty rhythm. We’ll also be talking about the new recording that is coming out from his band the Lonesome Ace Stringband. Be sure to tune in!

This week on Deering Live we are featuring Graham Sharp from the Steep Canyon Rangers. We will be diving into ways to use the 5-string banjo to enhance/support a song. The 5-string banjo is too often focused on being a lead instrument but it also can provide a great texture for a singer or other lead instrument to play on top of. Be sure to watch and pick up some great ideas!