This tiptop video is two hours of just plain fun -- to watch, and to listen to! Loaded with splendid 5-string banjo playing by some of the world's best pickers, both clawhammer and bluegrass, the tape unobtrusively tracks the three-day MBA banjo workshops, jam sessions and concerts held in April, 1997.
The tape was produced by David Wells, no stranger to videoing such gatherings (he also produced the "Don Reno Revival" tape of 1996, reviewed in BNL in July '97). Dave can also play virtually anything with a string on it, and is, in my opinion, the finest bluegrass banjo player in central Virginia. Billy Cline wrote the well-paced script for the video, Buddy Ingram did additional camera work, and the choice of Murphy Henry as narrator could not have been better, as she speaks distinctly, with a pleasant voice.
The theme of the video, developed from the beginning, is that of a history of the banjo, with a number of people presenting songs from the last century played on reproduction instruments. This banjo history works its way through the early twentieth century up to the present. Songs played by Mike Seeger, Pete Ross, George Wunderlich, and Bruce Molsky give a good view of the way the banjo was used many years ago. Tony Trischka plays a version of Blue Skies that Pete Seeger performed in the mid 50s, and Pete himself does the pop tune Yellow Bird from the 60s. Bela Fleck and Bill Keith demonstrate some of their amazing techniques, and Michael Miles plays several very pleasing classical pieces in clawhammer style. Present day styles of playing, such as the bluegrass version of Old Joe Clark given by Eddie Adcock and Bill Emerson, made the hair on the back of my head stand up, as did the duet by Murphy Henry and her daughter Casey, with Murphy's husband, Red, playing backup guitar.
For the roughly 150 students, including myself, MBA was a dream come true. To meet with and learn from the top people in any field is something that changes one forever. So my anticipation was like a kid on his first visit to a department store Santa. Some of the MBA "Santas" not already mentioned are Dwight Diller playing Sail Away Ladies (shades of the Blue Ridge), Jimmy Costa and LeRoy Troy playing songs in the Uncle Dave Macon style, Ken Perlman with a neat melodic clawhammer tune, Roni Stoneman (whose playing and humor everyone enjoyed), and Dean Sapp, Mark Johnson, and Rik Barron together on a bluegrass-clawhammer piece.
The video also shows off the banjo builders and vendors that were at MBA. George Wunderlich plays on several of the Civil War-era reproduction banjos he makes, and E. Lowell Jacobs shows off his mountain-style banjos. Jim Bollman of Music Emporium displays and comments on banjos from his extensive collection. Mike Ramsey makes "banjers," as he puts it, and nice ones, I must say. Geoff Stelling gave set-up and banjo-care sessions at his booth.
The tape presents a strong feeling for the diversity of playing styles, old and new, and shows that the number of phenomenal players and banjo craftsmen is increasing dramatically. The way the tape is constructed, interspersing music, workshops, and builders with comments by attendees, makes it a natural for any banjo lover to enjoy watching repeatedly. One comment that captures the essence of MBA was sent to me from Michael Borenstein of Philadelphia, PA. He writes, "It feels good to know that I can fire up the VCR and recapture those few days. Participating at the MBA was an epiphany for me. I have played my banjo literally every day since that event, and the video is another reminder of how important that weekend was for my banjology."
