banjo players

[w dean alexander]

how come banjo players know more stories and jokes than anyone else? and are all banjo players good ole boy and girls....?????

[Marianne Mayer]

You really need to ask this question of Rick Riman. In fact it sounds like you are talking about him;-)

[Rick Riman]

IMHO, maybe it's because most musicians and audiences (bluegrass and otherwise) see banjo players as lesser musicians (or simply non-musicians), and thus banjo players have had to find some non-musical means to communicate with, entertain, or manipulate an audience. As far as the good ole persons question: there are plenty of them, but one should notice such banjo players as Ben Eldridge, whose mathematical expertise has given him a career evaluating naval threats, for the Department of Defense, or the lesser-known but superb Larry Marschall, who is a professor of astrophysics, and of course Bela Fleck, who is not only a master of all things banjo, but is at least as cerebral (in playing and in life) as anyone on the faculty at Julliard or Berklee. Ok, I'll get off my detergent box.

[Keith Fuller]

Lesser musicians or nonmusicians? Say what? Huh?

[w dean alexander]

hay that was a good answer. you can be my friend..... Dean

[w dean alexander]

Marianne Mayer said:

You really need to ask this question of Rick Riman. In fact it sounds like you are talking about him;-)

[w dean alexander]

rick answered. and no i wasnt talking about him... i was talking mostly about myself... iam also a banjo picker...... and you can be my friend.,.......Dean Alexander

[Marianne Mayer]

Hi Dean,

I was just kidding about it being about Rick. If you copy and paste this link onto your browser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gngPuKOBfcU, you will find a clip from the Time Life documentary "Bluegrass Country Soul". Rick is in the clip playing on stage with Earl, JD, Sonny and well take a look and you will see, the list goes on. Anyways, he has been on the scene for many decades and has the most wonderful and interesting stories. I keep telling him he should write a book. He also is always trying to get people to laugh.

[w dean alexander]

thanks for clearing that up.... wouldnt want anyone to think i was being rude....lol;;;;; Dean

[Banjowills]

It's because we take risk. What other musician would play this instrument with all the jokes about us. But it is fun.

[ricky reece]

won banjo contests throwed it 10 yards

[Uncle Billy Dunbar]

They have more because more people write more stories and jokes about Banjer pickers then any other instrament. If Banjer pickers would stop pickin and do more writing then maybe other people would have more jokes and stories then they do! :)

[Buddy Hogan]

check mike scott on bluegrasser hes one of the best