February 10th: The Banjo Special

$20/18

Four of Canada's top banjo players combine their talents in The Banjo Special. Banjo-mania at its best, the Banjo Special is a joyous look at a truly North American instrument. Born in Africa and developed in the Southern United States, the banjo can be played in countless styles from gourd to bluegrass 5 string. It is a delightful and happy instrument to hear solo or with a band, fretless or minstral, Irish, African, or North American, picked or plucked. Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole are two very fine clawhammer players who know the tradition well but continue to compose a wealth of new tunes. Brian Taheny, from Sligo, Ireland, is a highly regarded Celtic tenor banjo player known for his flurries of triplets, blue notes and rhythmic twists. Picking with the drive of a piston, bluegrass banjo player Chris Quinn is schooled in the traditions of the style and yet is willing to step outside the boundaries of expectation. As The Banjo Special this cast of all-stars has developed a unique and textured ensemble sound - and a growing following. The Banjo - Always a delight.

The Mariposa Folk Foundation is a proud sponsor of the Flying Cloud Folk Club in its twenty-seventh year.