Banjourneys - Chuck Levy - Blog

Camps, House Concerts, Workshops, Dances etc.

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:13:48 -0800

Hello Friends,

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida. It is has been a long time since I have written, so here’s an update of recent happenings.

First and foremost I am blessed with a happy, healthy family.

This past summer I had an opportunity to teach banjo at the Mars Hill College Blue Ridge Old-Time Week. My old pal, Hilarie Burhans and I taught advanced clawhammer together. We had a crew of talented, friendly students to share music with. It was big fun. I conducted an akonting workshop, where I met Andrew Hensley and Emily Poole, fine musicians from the UK, and as it turns out, editors for the British publication Old-Time News. I am proud that they chose to interview me, and to review Banjourneys.

We were also delighted to host Jola akonting/banjo scholar Daniel Laemouahuma Jatta, in Gainesville, while He attended the Arts in Medicine Summer Intensive at the University of Florida.. We had a grand time with Laemouahuma. During his visit, Greg Allen stopped in to interview him for National Public Radio. Laemou, Scoot Anderson and I presented and banjo/akonting lecture and demonstration. Laemou and I visited the Staleys in Micanopy for music and to swap tales. Laemou really enjoyed North Central Florida, in part because it reminded him of The Gambia.

In September, Jim Strickland and I directed the Stephen Foster Old-Time Music Weekend. Our Special guests were Art Rosenbaum, Beverly Smith, and Erica Weiss, along with Chuck Anton and me as instructors, and Kerry Blech and Jane and Gordon Scott as Florida Masters (Jim did some teaching too). It was an old-time music lover’s dream, filled with great music, and good fellowship. You can find videos of the concerts and www.youtube.com/banjochuck although you may have to dig a little.

In December, Bob Carlin stopped by and presented banjo workshops to enthusiastic students with his usual flare. In January, we hosted Moonshine Holler (Paula Bradley and Bill DIllof) and Jeni and Billy in separate house concerts. I joined Paula and Bill on the banjo for John Lover’s Gone, (one of my favorite tunes)and on Chicken Ridge, Cecil Robert’s Hand, and The Robin and the Banjo with Jeni and Billy. With J. and B, I played the cello banjo, which I thought filled in nicely under Billy’s banjo playing.. Paula, Bill, and I played as the Polliwanna Crackers (Susan Trammel was unavailable) for the Melrose dance with Susie Rudder calling. Toes were tapping, heels were flying, partners were swung. The house rocked!

Right now, Ken Perlman and are gearing up for what promises to be a terrific Suwannee Banjo Camp, March 15-18. Our line up includes: Ken and I, as well as, Scott Anderson, Alan Munde, Janet Davis, Tony Trischka, James McKinney, Paul Brown, Brad Leftwich, Mark Johnson, Kathy Barton Para, Mac Benford, Greg Adams, and Erynn Marshall www.suwanneeebanjocamp I am also happy to announce that the Ferrets of the Mall (Aisha Ivey, Aaron O’Rourke, and Chuck Levy) have some appearances in the next couple of months.

In the coming weeks, I hope to be able to announce the Ferrets dates, and report on our faculty for the Stephen Foster Old-Time Weekend,.

Well that is it for me. What is happening in your world? Drop me a line. I would love to hear from you.

Yours,

Chuck

Chuck Levy interviews Bela Fleck for the Old-TIme Herald

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:53:02 -0700

In the latter part of 2009, Bela Fleck stopped in Gainesville as part of his Africa Project tour. My good friend and fellow banjoist, Scott Anderson, allowed me to tag along as he interviewed Bela for Banjo Newsletter. It was a fascinating experience. I had never met Bela before (nor since). He was relaxed and comfortable, and gave long and thoughtful answers to Scott’s questions. In fact, the material was rich enough that part 1 was featured in the June 2009 issue of Banjo Newsletter, and part 2 was featured in the following issue.

Bela was gracious enough to allow me to interview him as well via email. It was a challenge to find new ground that hadn’t been covered by Scott. I decided to concentrate on his asking Bela about his experiences in Africa, and what it was like working with African musicians. I drew from my own exposure to African musicians from 2007 and 2008 when I visited Gambia and Senegal to study with master Jola akonting (ekonting) players Remi and Ekona Diatta, under the helpful guidance of my hosts Daniel Jatta and Paul and Therese Correa. The Old-Time Herald (http://www.oldtimeherald.org/) has graciously given me permission to post the interview. You can read the interview by clicking http://www.banjourneys.com/publicfiles/fleck.pdf or download a .pdf of the interview by clicking http://www.banjourneys.com/publicfiles/fleck.pdf

Suwannee Banjo Camp: A Great Time, and Tony Trischka Likes Banjourneys

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:27:33 -0700

March 19-21st marked the 4th (I think) Suwannee Banjo Camp that I have directed with Ken Perlman.

The work of putting on a camp goes on all year, with lots of thought put into every aspect. We work hard to select a faculty of great players and teachers (not always the same thing), arranging the publicity and the program, communicating with campers, getting tents in place, organizing tasks for our work-study students, putting on the concerts, and trying to make sure the material we teach is fresh and new. We try to learn from our past mistakes knowing ahead of time that no matter what we do, we are bound to make new missteps each year.

Each year the actual camp that takes place is a revelation, I get to meet new and old friends, and get to witness amazing musicians gather together and spark off one another.

There were a number of highlights for me personally. I got to meet Cathy Barton and Dave Para, musicians I have followed for years. It turns out that they are even nicer in person than the lovely songs they bring to life. I spent time with my good friend Bill Paine in a great slow jam where the music flowed and it seemed like we all played together. In the next night’s intermediate jam,. I was tucked in between Brad Leftwich’s elegant fiddling and Paul Brown’s steady guitar. Late at night I joined a fearless jam of screaming tunes. I got a chance to meet and play with James Mckinney, a fireball of a player, when we were both too tired, but what the heck. He ran all over the fingerboard like a hound that got his nose in the pepper! I got to see Scott Anderson, a fine bluegrass banjoist from Gainesville strut his stuff. For the second year in a row, Adam Hurt joined me in the faculty concert for a 6-string (me) 5-string (Adam) duet. It is a great pleasure to figure out how to find complementary accompaniment to his vibrant playing. I also played clawhammer banjp to Aisha Ivey’s passionate Celtic fiddling. I am not sure I did her justice, but it sure was fun.

I also had the chance to meet Tony Trischka for the first time, one of the leading banjoists of his (and my) generation. Of course I have heard, and heard of Tony for a long time but meeting him was especially special. One of my favorite memories from SBC 2010 took place at the end of camp, when Mac Benford and Tony had overlapping free periods. Tony arranged to have Mac play and teach him the tune Black Jack Grove, a Kentucky Fiddle tune from Walter McNew. I was nearby when they slipped in a cabin, and they graciously allowed me to sit in and listen. There was Mac, reeling out the tune in his spare three-finger style, while Tony gathered it in, and they played along, also with three fingers, but with an entirely different approach. As Mac played through, Tony would get closer and closer to Mac’s melody: a clarification here, a subtle shift there, run through it again, and then again. It was a thrill to see these old friends and masters of different styles that are too often seen as separate, bridge the gap and play together.

I had sent Tony a copy of Banjourneys prior to camp at Bob Carlin’s suggestion. Tony helped lead me to Roz Chast, the famed New Yorker cartoonist, who drew the illustration on the cover of Banjourneys, and Bob thought it would be courteous to send Tony a copy. Much to my delight, Tony had taken the time to listen to it, and to my great relief, liked it.

I asked Tony if he would be willing for me to quote him, and this is what he sent me:

“Banjourneys is wonderful blend of banjo and fiddle voices drawing from old-time and West-African traditions, with a shade of cowboy music and the Rolling Stones too. The amazing thing is how well it all fits together; at turns haunting, lyrical, and loads of fun, neatly wrapped up in a Roz Chast cover.”

Tony Trischka

Banjourneys makes Banjo Newsletter's Best of 2009 list

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:52:27 -0800

I was leafing through the January copy of Banjo Newsletter looking at this and that. I started reading Don Nitchie's "Callous Thumb" column on the best recordings of 2009. Don starts with bluegrass, profiling Jessie Baker's debut, Chris Warner's "Going to the Dance", and Danny Barne's "Pizza Box", amongst others. I thought, "all good". Then the focus shifted to clawhammer: There was Kevin Fore's "Frolic in Round Peak" and "Shout Mona" by the Haints. Again, good choices. And, Holy Crap, next is me! Who'd have thought? "Florida Banjo Champion Chuck Levy's Banjourneys is a simply-produced old time banjo and banjonting (modeled after the West African akonting) and fiddle release. I found this CD very affecting in its sparseness". Yahoo! Go sparseness! (and thanks to Bob Carlin for recording, producing and engineeering the project)! Woo Hoo!

Collin Kane Wins the Long Leaf youth Fiddle Contest at Morningside Nature Park, November 29th, 2009

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:25:32 -0800

Collin Kane invited me to accompany him when he competed at the Long Leaf Fiddle and Stringband Contest at Morningside Nature Park on November 29th. Collin is a 10 year-old Suzuki student in Gainesville. His mother, Diane Shaw is fine clogger who dances with my bands “Fear No Weevil” and “Physical Medicine”. She always livens up our performances. Andy Kane, Collin’s father, is a square and contra dance caller, who communicates a deep appreciation and understanding of old-time music when he calls.

Collin and I had practiced together twice on his two reels and his waltz. Collin seemed to grow in confidence, and I started to settle in on his tunes Redwing, Devil’s Dream, and the waltz (whose name I can’t remember). The day of the contest was finger-numbing cold. There were 8 contestants We sat together, waiting for our turn. I was nervous, but Collin seemed calm. As each contestant finished, I waited for our names to be called, mentally rehearsing our pieces, lightly running my hands across the banjo neck. Wee were last to go.

We sat, tuned, and then Collin launched in, with me trying to keep time, support his playing, generally keep up.

When we were done, the contestants were gathered together as the prizes were announced. The 3rd and 2nd places went to two older boys who had played more sophisticated pieces well. The first prize went to Collin, but his name was mispronounced. As it dawned on him that he had actually won, joy and excitement spread across his face.

I stuck around for a while, playing music with the band “Screech and Holler at Daisy”, and then left for home.

I am told that Collin was excited and when the afternoon stringband contest was held, he organized two other contestants to join him, and they took second place (well there was only one other band, but still).

Concert and Banjo and Akonting Construction Workshop at the Ships of the Sea Musuem in Savannah GA.

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:24:32 -0800

On November 14th, I had the honor of presenting a concert at the Ships of The Sea Museum in Savannah, Georgia. I had a great time researching, organizing, and rehearsing a full program of Jola, minstrel, clawhammer, and two-finger up-picking selections on the West African akonting/ekonting* and on five and six-string fretted and fretless banjos. I managed to sneak in a few of my favorite tunes and songs on the fiddle as well. Tony Pizzo, the Museum Director, was a wonderful host, the setting was lovely, the audience was attentive and appreciative.

I got a chance to explore the museum, which was also a delight. It was filled with interesting maritime curios as well as fantastic models of wind powered and steam ships rendered in exquisite detail.

However, what really impressed me was the workshop that occurred prior to the concert. Tony and his assistants guided 20 or so students to each build a 4-string banjo (3 long strings and a short thumb string) as well as an akonting. The key to this was that the pot of these instruments was a cookie tin, and the necks were made of would available at the hardware store. Autoharp-style pins are used for tuning pegs, and nylon guitar strings or “Weed Wacker” nylon strings are used for the strings. Tony provided all the power tools necessary. The students worked steadily through the morning and afternoon creating their “canjos and acantings” with Tony darting from table to table. As if this were not enough, at the lunch break, Tony presents a scholarly review of information on a variety of African and Asian instruments related to the banjo. Tony estimates that he has had 60 students complete his class since it started a few years ago. I have placed some photos from workshop in a folder on this site.

Tony has also produced some terrific films on the akonting/ekonting featuring Sana Ndiaye, Greg Adams, Paul Sedgewick, John Catches, Tony Pizzo and me, as well as Bob Zentz on the canjo all at http://shipsofthesea.org/video

*The akonting — also spelled “ekonting” is a 3 stringed African instrument played by the Jola people of Senegal and Gambia. It is played in a style that is virtually adentical to clawhammer/minstrel banjo style.and a short string) and an akonting/ekonting