[Dixielandjazz] Banjitar - Swinginest Banjo Ever!

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

<<Fascinating how they use jazz era imagery to poke fun at  five-string folk,
country, & bluegrass playing.  I have yet to meet  an OKUM group using
five-string.  Bela Fleck--well he plays whatever he  wants in his musical  
maturity !!!
Ginny>>
 
At the 25th Anniversary Celebration of my bands, due to a surgical  procedure 
my regular banjoist was having, I had to make an alternate choice for  my 
Dixieland band.
 
The guitarist for my Big Band told me he played banjo. Now, I'd never heard  
him play banjo, but he is a phenomenal guitarist with great musicianship  
regardless of style. Having a small element of reservation, I told him to bring  
his Banjo and a big box guitar, knowing I could always fall back on the Freddie 
 Green thing and be a happy camper.
 
I had so many things happing in my brain that day, I wasn't totally paying  
attention to all the little details. I hadn't placed a mic at the banjo, and  
after the first tune I turned around and asked if he had a pick-up on his banjo 
 (knowing Steve, he would because he always has all the bases covered) and if 
I  could give him a direct in.
 
I didn't think anything else of it, but man the band was swingin' and the  
rhythm section was FEELING GREAT! Then Steve took a solo and I sensed something  
was different than I was accustomed to . . . and I liked that different. The  
sound coming from the banjo wasn't your usual thin, annoying trebley, 
piercing  sound that many, not all, but many, banjoists project.
 
Part of the reason I was slow on this is the fact that in my Dixie band the  
banjo sits behind me.
 
I finally made the discovery that he was playing a very unusual instrument  . 
. . a 6 string banjo called a BANJITAR (some folks spell it banjuitar). This  
is a hybrid instrument between and Banjo and a Guitar. The build of a banjo 
with  a slightly wider neck and the 6 strings of a guitar.
 
Maybe this is nothing new to some of you folks, but I had never heard or  
seen anything like it.
 
The tone had a wonderful warmth to it. The solos could be more creative  with 
more choices either as single or multiple notes and chords. The comping was  
"Freddie Green plays the Banjo".
 
All I can say is this had to be the best the rhythm section has ever felt  
for this band . . . at least in my memory. Man, I was a happy camper.
 
Now I know you purists and historians aren't gonna dig this one doggone  bit, 
but for the rest of you guys who just dig a really swingin', great feeling,  
full-sounding rhythm section . . . I think this may be where it's at. And, it  
solves a quality personnel issue in some cases.
 
Hope someone finds this interesting!
Bill
414-777-010
cell 414-305-6955
_http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm_ 
(http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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