Hi again everyone!
I apologize for not keeping this page more up to date but things have been incredibly busy these last few weeks! Many of you already know that fiddler Megan Lynch and I spent three weeks on tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland in March, ending with a week of teaching at the fantastic, incredible and wonderful Sore Fingers Bluegrass Week in Kingham, Chipping Norton. We had an utterly fantastic and unforgettable experience and we're determined to return as soon as we can. Thanks to everyone who helped us along the way and to all 23 students in my Sore Fingers banjo class. You can view a poignant and often humorous photo diary of our adventures by visiting our MySpace page.
Megan and I have been recording in Nashville these last few months, working with producer Steve Mougin (from Sam Bush's band) on a project that runs the gambit from traditional bluegrass to orginal tunes and even a few alt-rock covers thrown in for good measure. With an emphasis on singing (go Megan!) and harmonies (good try Bill!), we're excited about what we're creating. Look for a fall release for this recording. I think it's going to be pretty good, if I do say so myself.
There's other exciting recording news as well. "Banjoland," a "new" track that I recorded with my banjo buddy Tony Trischka (okay, actually it's a classic banjo duet from 1908) is now available on his wonderful new CD project Territory on Smithsonian Folkways recordings. This recording also features Bruce Molsky, Mike and Pete Seeger and Bill Keith. Check it out!
The month of May brings some exciting concert and workshop dates. I'll be performing twice this month at the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, California. On May 7th, I'm sharing the bill with my long-time music friend Steve Smith from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Steve's an incredible mandolin, mandola and guitar player and we'll have a great time playing his tunes as well as some of mine. On May 11th, I join Kathy Kallick in her 19th Annual Mother's Day Celebration at the Freight. Then later in May comes New England's Banjo Camp North and a Boston area solo debut at the world famous Sharon House Concert series. Check out the Native and Fine Schedule page for all of the deatils.
Also, don't forget to take a moment to check out my new YouTube channel, featuring six different banjo performances, ranging from African akonting music to 19th century minstrelsy, an early 20th century classic banjo tune, "Fireball Mail" and my new tune "The Distance Between Two Points."
Banjo For Dummies has quickly become the best selling banjo instructional book worldwide. This is hard for me to believe but thank you all for your support of this project. This 320 page book and CD set offers something for everyone: not only basic instruction in clawhammer and bluegrass banjo technique but also sections on minstrel, classic, Scruggs, single-string and melodic banjo. There's a buyer's guide, over 120 photos and diagrams and an accompanying CD that includes all 130 musical examples and 19 songs. Best of all, it's a Dummies book! It's fun to read, easy to understand and packed full of great information, including how to play with good left and right hand technique, understanding how to play a song, surviving your first jam session and much, much more.You can learn more about Banjo For Dummies as well as download pdf files of the table of contents, a sample chapter, the Dummies banjo "Cheat Sheet" and a Dummies cartoon by clicking here. Also, check out the November issue of Banjo Newsletter magazine for Tom Adams' review of the book.
You can purchase a signed copy directly from me by clicking here (and get a free Banjo For Dummies keychain!) or find a copy at a bookstore anywhere beginning on August 13th.
My new Mel Bay book co-written with Dix Bruce, Parking Lot Picker's Songbook: Banjo Edition has also received an unbelievable response and is already in its second printing. This 304 page book has over 225 bluegrass and old-time songs and includes two CDs where you can hear Dix and I perform each and every song. Each song's melody is presented in conventional music notation and easy to read banjo tablature, with chord progressions and complete lyrics. You can work up your own version using the CD and the printed music together. An introductory essay prepares you for your next jam session by discussing transposing of chord progressions and melodies and how to find the right key for male and female singers and there are over 40 great photos of many current day banjo heroes. Songs include "Rocky Top," "Little Maggie," "Nine Pound Hammer" and many, many others (like 223 others!!). To hear a CD sample track, click here. To view a page sample, click here.
The Native and Fine Music webstore is now also selling the companion guitar volume, Mel Bay's Parking Lot Picker's Songbook: Guitar Edition by Dix Bruce. Each book has the same repertoire, played in the same key. Instead of banjo tab for the melody, the Guitar Edition presents the melody in six string guitar tab and conventional music notation.
My good friend Tom Mirisola has got a great thing going with his manufacture of the Kel Kroyden banjo and his American Made Banjo Company strings. These strings are "cryogenically treated," meaning that they are subjected to very, very cold temperatures. These strings sound great and last a very, very long time.
Tom has recently created a number of signature sets, including one with my name on them. Thanks Tom - this is a great honor! The Bill Evans signature set has string gauges of 10, 11, 13, 20JD and 10 - just right for great bluegrass playing as well as more progressive styles.
The best news about all of this is that Tom has come up with the Signature Artist Charity Program. A portion of the proceeds from each set of strings benefits the charity of the artist's choice. In my case, all of my proceeds are going to support the Children's Tumor Foundation, the group that supports research on neurofibromatosis. I profit in no way from the sale of these strings - but I'm excited to help fund research on NF.
My new AcuTab instructional DVD Banjo Master Class: Power Pickin' Vol. 4 is also now available at the Native and Fine store! In this new DVD, I discuss many of the things that I cover with my students in private lessons - left and right hand positioning (including hand and wrist angles), pick fit and angle and right hand finger motion. I also teach essential Scruggs style licks and explore in depth such issues as how to play slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, how to space notes in a roll, how to play with a metronome, etc. I believe that this is the most in-depth instructional project about hand techinque of any DVD on the market. The idea with this project is not to tell you what to do, but to show you different options so you can explore these concepts yourself to come up with what's going to work best for you. It's designed for all levels of players - you don't need to have purchased the other DVDs in the Power Pickin' series as this new project covers different topics.
You can watch three samples from this project by following these links:
Keep music a part of your life and I hope to catch up with you soon. I wish you and your loved ones all the best.
Sincerely,
Bill Evans
April/May 2008
Download a track from "Bill Evans Plays Banjo" now!
Click on the title to download an MP3 of "Germaine's Dream" (3660 KB), a track from Bill Evans Plays Banjo on Native and Fine Records. The players on this cut are Bill Evans, banjo; Darol Anger: harmony fiddles, second and fourth solos; Greg Spatz: fiddle, first and third solos; John Reischman: mandolin; Rob Ickes: dobro; Jim Nunally: guitar; Missy Raines: bass. Recorded at Jim Nunally's, Crockett, CA, February, 2001. Written by Bill Evans. Published by Fifth Child Music, BMI. All rights reserved.
If you are a bluegrass, folk or Americana DJ and interested in receiving a copy of this project, e-mail me by clicking here.
I hope you enjoy this triple-fiddle romp featuring Darol Anger and Spokane, Washington fiddler Greg Spatz from John Reischman and the Jaybirds. I dreamt this tune on a Saturday night, right down to the individual notes of the banjo break and was lucky to have some time early on the Sunday morning to lay it all out. Enjoy! Bill.