International Jazz Banjo Newsletter

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine is proud to announce the
second annual Antietam Early Banjo Conference to be held at the Pry
House Field Hospital Museum in Keedysville, Md Sept 14, 15 and 16th
(http://civilwarmed.org/events.cfm). This year's event is being held
in cooperation with the Piedmont Folk Legacy of North Carolina. The
purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the important role the
early banjo played in multicultural roots of American popular music
and culture and the role music played in the lives of our Civil War
ancestors.

Last year the conference brought together 32 stroke style banjo
players from 14 states to take part in 19th century banjo workshops,
jam sessions and scholarly lectures. This year the program has been
expanded to include one-on-one mentoring sessions and a Civil War era
banjo-building workshop.

There will be a public concert and stroke style banjo contest on
Saturday September 15th at 4:00 p.m. Feel free to bring a picnic
basket, blanket or chair and eat dinner on the lawn of the historic
Pry House! The concert will be held rain or shine. Rain location
will be the inside of the Pry House Barn. Tickets will be available
at the gate, $5.00 for adults or $15.00 for a carload. All proceeds
benefit the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

The banjo contest winner will be awarded a handmade fretless
antebellum banjo reproduction. Last year's winner, Greg Adams of
Germantown, Maryland, graciously auctioned his prize banjo to raise
money for the Akonting Cultural Center in Gambia (western Africa).
The center is dedicated to the preservation of traditional African
culture including the African antecedents of the American banjo.

Those wishing to attend the conference or wanting information on the
concert should contact the Museum at 301-695-1864. The Pry House is
located on the Antietam National Battlefield at 18906 Shepherdstown
Pike (MD route 34), between Sharpsburg and Boonesboro Maryland.

David Price's new project of backing tracks for banjo players is now available. With a booklet of music, tips and chords, a CD disk with melody and one without, this is a useful rehearsal tool to have in your library. He has used live backing and real instruments where-ever possible and it steers away from the awful mechanical keyboard backings presently available. The 24 tracks are Amazing Grace, Baby face,Bei mir bist du schön, Bill Bailey, Bye bye blues, Darktown strutters ball, Dinah, Five foot two, Frankie and Johnny, I can't give you anything but love, If I had you, I'll see you in my dreams, Ja da, Love letters in the sand, Margie, Mr. Sandman, Some of these days,Spanish eyes,Swanee River, Sway,Sweet Georgia Brown, The world is waiting for the sunrise, When the saints go marching in and Whispering. Each tune plays three choruses through.
The package costs GBP.23 which includes postage within the U.K.
Contact David at dvprice@tiscali.co.uk for more details or visit www.jazzbanduk.info

Cynthia Sayer's New CD

Cynthia Sayer is proud to announce the release of her new CD, "ATTRACTIONS" with Bucky Pizzarelli"

For instant purchase, please visit www.cynthiasayer.com, & click on Recordings

1. Viper Mad (Sidney Bechet)
2. Half As Much (Hank Williams)
3. Banjo Tango (Cynthia Sayer)
4. Shakin’ The Blues Away (Irving Berlin)
5. Over The Rainbow (Harburg & Arlen)
6. El Choclo (A.G. Villoldo)
7. The Gift (Cynthia Sayer)
8. Romance Without Finance (Tiny Grimes)
9. Dark Eyes (traditional)
10. You Are My Sunshine (Davis & Mitchell)
11. Swing De Paris (Django Reinhardt)
12. Abba Dabba Honeymoon (Fields & Donovan)
13. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Franz Liszt)
Personnel:
Cynthia Sayer – banjo, vocals, arrangements
Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar
Scott Robinson – soprano, tenor & baritone saxes, clarinet
Randy Sandke – trumpet
Jim Fryer – trombone
Sara Caswell – violin
Greg Cohen – string bass
Joe Ascione – percussion

The New England Jazz BanjoFest will be held as previously announced
but at a new venue.
We will be at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough, MA.
The cutoff date for the $87 room rate is September 15.
Details of the festival will be forthcoming.

Friday, October 12 to Sunday, October 14

Holiday Inn hotel, 242 Adams Place, Boxborough, Mass, USA. 01719
For Rooms Call: 978-263-8701

Special Room Rate $87 (cutoff 9/12/07) – ask for BanjoFest rate

For More Information Call:
Allen Padwa 508-754-7918 or allen@padwacaldwell.com