PLAIN FOLK

by Billy Jones
The Banjo

Everybody has a favorite instrument. At least, I think they do. Over the years, I‘ve learned to like them all but that depends on what the players do with them. My favorite instrument, of course, is the steel guitar because it’s what I play.

I’ve discovered that it will fit in with just about any type of music. I’ve used my steel guitar in a symphony orchestra, as well as pop, country and Hawaiian bands. Yanni uses many exotic instruments in his orchestra. He gets amazing sounds. The great Spade Cooley used a harp in his famous western swing orchestra as well as other instruments normally associated with classical music. Stan Kenton recorded a song called “Artistry in Jazz”. Spade Cooley recorded the same song using the traditional country instruments, but he included a flute and tympani.

When I was a little boy, my father played the tenor banjo and I was fascinated by the sound. However, dad played old time music most of the time. My mother took me to a minstrel show where my dad was playing when I was about 5-years old. I’d never seen so many banjos and the men who were playing them were all in black face. I was scared to death. When I turned around to run out the door, I ran straight into a doorman dressed the same way and I began to cry. My father, also in black face, saw this and he came down and picked me up. He took me up to the stage to show me that everything was all right. When I turned 11-years old, I was actually in a minstrel show playing my guitar.

Eddy Peabody was an outstanding tenor banjo player. We used to listen to him on the radio, back in the thirties. Another, more recent super picker was, New Brunswick born, Maurice Bolyer. He was one of the finest tenor banjo players I’ve ever heard. I had the pleasure of playing with Bolyer on radio and TV several times. You might have seen him featured on the Tommy Hunter show years ago.

The banjo is an extraordinary instrument capable of many services to today’s modern bands and orchestras. A tenor banjo and a tenor guitar are the same. The banjo has many guises. There is a banjo uke, a banjo mandolin and more. The most popular banjo today is the 5-string banjo, used mostly in bluegrass music. There is also a 6 and 7-string banjo, almost obsolete. These were used as plectrum and rhythm instruments.

There are some pretty solid banjo players here in Medicine Hat like George Jeske and Bill Bertrand. And there is “Banjo man,” Tony Hepfner, with the Country Squires band. There is also Tommy Carroll who plays excellent bass as well. It’s a real treat to be able to sit alongside this versatile man. It’s fun to sit down and trade steel and banjo licks with Tom. Just to sit and listen to him play ain’t bad either.
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Don't miss the Polyjesters 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night at the Moose Family Centre!