Tag: Pharis and Jason Romero

Brad Kolodner’s
Gourd Banjo Journey

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

My gourd banjo journey began on a crisp, winter day in downtown Ithaca, New York. While an undergrad at Ithaca College early in my banjo-playing days, I stopped by the local acoustic instrument store and saw a peculiar banjo-like creature hanging high up on the wall. I was instantly hooked. It had five strings and a short drone string just like my banjo. I could play the same clawhammer style I was familiar with, but everything felt and sounded different. The instrument had an earthy, plunky, and rich tone. Besides being completely fretless and tuned a few steps low, the head was made of a gourd that smelled like dirt. Flash forward 15 years and here I’ve just released an album of solo, unaccompanied gourd banjo music called Old Growth.

These days, I play a gourd banjo built by Pete Ross, an immensely talented banjo maker who lives in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, a town full of banjo history. The first professional banjo maker in the world, William Boucher, set up shop in Baltimore in the mid-19th century. The neck of this banjo, notably the scroll-shaped headstock, is modeled after the Boucher style. In addition to being a tool for creative exploration, the gourd banjo serves as a prism into the complex history of the banjo. It’s a reliable conversation-starter everywhere I go. For more on banjo history, I encourage you to read Well of Souls by Kristina Gaddy.

While compiling this list, I was struck by the sheer variety in tone and texture possible with the gourd banjo. While the instrument connects to the early roots of old-time music, it continues to serve as a platform for innovation. Every player is unique. This list features gourd banjoists from around the world playing traditional and original material. Let’s go on a deep dive into the gourd banjo! – Brad Kolodner

“Josie-O” – Adam Hurt

Arguably the most influential gourd banjo album of our time, Adam Hurt’s Earth Tones is sublime. Cover to cover, this is a dreamy album of solo gourd banjo pieces and it’s on regular rotation at my house. Adam is one of today’s most influential clawhammer banjo players and there’s no question his gourd banjo playing, and this album specifically, introduced the gourd banjo to much wider audiences inspiring countless musicians along the way.

“Old Growth” – Brad Kolodner

The title track of my new album Old Growth is a dark, spooky tune I wrote in the depths of winter, yearning for those sun-filled summer days in the vibrant forests just north of town. I tuned my banjo extra low on this track, hence the extra mellow vibes. The title speaks to the seemingly ancient sound of the gourd while nodding to how this music continues to evolve.

“Julie” – Rhiannon Giddens

A song inspired by a conversation between an enslaved woman and her mistress during the Civil War, Rhiannon Giddens’ use of the gourd banjo is particularly poignant on “Julie.” Rhiannon is a tremendous ambassador for the banjo. She’s reframing the conversation around the history of the instrument and the role Black folks have played and continue to play in American Roots music. The early incarnations of the banjo made by enslaved Africans were gourd banjos.

“Rolling Mills” – Pharis & Jason Romero

Based in Horsefly, British Columbia, Pharis & Jason Romero build some of the most gorgeous (gourd-geous?) banjos in the world. Jason Romero built the gourd banjo he’s playing on this track. Both are immensely talented musicians who take great care in their instrument building and songcraft.

“Darling Cora” – Nora Brown

One of the most exciting young banjo players on the scene today, Nora has a deep reverence for the roots of old-time music. Her playing is absolutely sublime. She plays a gourd banjo very similar to mine also built by Pete Ross in Baltimore. All gourd banjos are handmade, which gives each one a unique sound.

“Long Hot Summer Days” – John Showman & Chris Coole

Chris Coole is a banjo hero of mine and his gourd banjo playing on this John Hartford track fits perfectly. The slinky nature of the fretless gourd truly embodies those sluggish long, hot summer days.

“Gourdness” – Arnie Naiman

Arnie is one of Canada’s finest banjo players and a clever tunesmith to boot. I first heard his playing on the compilation album The Old Time Banjo Festival produced by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer.

“Goodbye, Honey, You Call That Gone” – Jake Blount

Ok so, technically, Jake isn’t playing a gourd banjo on this track. He’s playing a fretless banjo with nylon strings which sounds an awful lot like a gourd banjo. The next incarnation of the banjo in the mid-19th century after the gourd banjo was along the lines of what you’re hearing on this track.

“Four and Twenty Blackbirds Dancing on a Deer Skin / Twin Sisters” – Teilhard Frost

Teilhard Frost resides on Wolfe Island in Ontario and is a longtime member of the band Sheesham, Lotus & Son. He set out to build gourd fiddles many years ago and now specializes in gourd and tackhead banjos.

“The Rain Done Fell on Me, Pt. 1” – Justin Golden

Primarily known as a blues guitarist and songwriter, Justin Golden plays a mean gourd banjo. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Justin is a gem of a human – and he’s been going through a real challenging time as he’s currently battling stage 4 cancer. There’s a GoFundMe for him here.

“Wild Bill Jones” – Ken & Brad Kolodner

When my father Ken and I first started making music together nearly 15 years ago, we figured the fiddle and banjo would be the core focus of our music. We soon realized the percussive nature of the hammered dulcimer and the drive of clawhammer mesh together beautifully. The gourd banjo adds yet another dimension to this unusual texture, especially when cranked up to the tempo of “fast.” That’s Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer, Rachel Eddy on guitar, Alex Lacquement on bass, and myself on gourd banjo.

“Western Pine” – Talise

In compiling material for this list, I came across this lovely original song by the Canadian artist Talise featuring gourd banjo. I’m excited to dig more into her work!

“Jagged Mountain Is on Fire (Gourd Banjo)” – Andrea Verga

Born and raised in Italy, Andrea Verga is one of today’s most inventive and creative clawhammer banjo players. He writes adventurous melodies; this tune is inspired by the jagged peaks of the Dolomite Mountains in Andrea’s home country.

“Ard Aoibhinn / The Hunter’s Purse” – Steve Baughman

Steve is one of today’s most influential Celtic fingerstyle guitar players – he’s also one of the most creative banjo players out there. He even plays clawhammer on guitar! This medley features a pair of Celtic tunes played on gourd and mandolin.

“Pompey Ran Away” – Clarke Buehling

Considered to be the first banjo melody officially documented, “Pompey Ran Away” dates back to the 18th century. Hailing from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Clarke Buehling is a renowned banjo player and historian who has long been an advocate for the gourd banjo.

Photo Credit: Frank Evans

CONVERSATIONS WITH… Pharis and Jason Romero

Posted on by Editor

PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO are a Canadian duo who live on a homestead outside the town of Horsefly, British Columbia. By day, they’re professional instrument makers and by night, they’re singers and songwriters (as as well as masters of the instruments they create). They took time out from a busy day of building banjos and making music to talk with Michael Verity about their influences, their love of old music and their new album, Long Gone Out West Blues. 

The first thing I noticed listening to ‘Sad Old Blues,’ the first track on Long Gone Out West Blues, is how Pharis’ voice fits into the classic folk singer mold. Has folk music always been your genre of choice?

Pharis: I wouldn’t call it my first choice; rather, it was a choice among many. My mom had a beautiful record collection that included artists like Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell, so they definitely had an influence. But we also listened to a ton of Eagles and Rolling Stones and Cream and Led Zeppelin. My Dad was a classic country fan so I heard a lot of Merle Haggard and Johnny Horton and Hank Williams. Plus, I studied classical music so there was Brahms and Bach in there, too.

So it comes down to finding your own space within those many influences.

Pharis: Exactly. I know every word to every song on most of Joni Mitchell’s albums but I also recognize almost every bowing intricacy on Tommy Jarrell’s albums. It’s really about finding out what part of each of those musics I relate to.

If you don’t mind me saying so, on that particular song you remind me of Joan Baez.  Would you consider her a strong influence?

Pharis: Funny enough, I wouldn’t. She wasn’t a part of my parent’s listening catalog when I was growing up. I heard Bob Dylan and other folk singers from that era, but not much Joan Baez. So no, she wasn’t much of an influence. But I take that as a huge compliment.

There’s not a lot of hip-hop in my repertoire but my 14-year old listens to it almost exclusively. But, I take solace in the fact he does know the words to ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.’

Pharis: Jason and I joke about it all the time: whatever music you’re listening to, if you delve into what the artist was listening to at the time it was recorded, and keep going back, you ultimately arrive at The Carter Family.

Right! There are only six degrees of separation between Jay-Z and Mother Maybelle! Speaking of multiple genres, Jason, what style of music had the most influence on you?

Jason: I wasn’t playing music when I was younger so I wasn’t listening on the same level as we’ve been discussing. I was just into classic rock in high school. Even though I didn’t play, I wanted to know where that music came from, which took me to the blues, which took me to acoustic music which took me to banjos. Now, I’m drawn to anything recorded in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s because of the purity of the sound. That could be Louis Armstrong and the Hot Fives or Git Tanner and the Skillet Lickers or The Blue Sky Boys. It’s hard to find something from that era that I don’t like.

Who do you consider your great influences as an instrumentalist?

Jason: It’s hard to point to any one person. Riley Puckett’s guitar playing really freaks me out in a lot of exciting ways ‘cuz it’s just so crazy. But I couldn’t pick just one.

The banjo you play in the video for ‘Wild Bill Jones’ is a beautiful. Can you tell me about it?

Jason: It’s one I made for myself back in 2010. People sometimes ask us for a lot of bling on the instruments we make but that one’s pretty stripped down visually. A lot of people reference that instrument when they order one for themselves.

‘Bling’ on a banjo? OK, what’s the weirdest bling you’ve ever put on a banjo?

Jason: I’m not sure I want to publicize that. (Laughs) Pharis does all the inlays on the banjos and she’s had to execute some interesting ideas for folks expressed through mother-of-pearl.

Let’s talk about the song ‘Long Gone Out West Blues’ which is, as I mentioned, the title cut of your new album. What is the story behind that tune?

Pharis: I was thinking about when my relatives travelled from Quebec to British Columbia five generations ago, what a transition it must have been for them to come across the country, that feeling of craving trees and mountains, the sense of the wilderness wrapping itself around you, the joy of reaching your destination.

It’s hard to tell the difference between the songs you’ve written in our time and the songs you’ve covered from years back.

Pharis: Where we live there’s a real culture of community. There are a lot of casual music gatherings and community dinners and that sort of thing. We have old fashioned dinners where everyone shows up with a potluck to share. That’s one of the things we really treasure about early music because there’s an indelible sense of place in that music; you get an idea of where people were living and how they were living and the importance of the community.

You cover Riley Puckett’s ‘Waiting For The Evening Mail’ and ‘It Just Suits Me’ by the Georgia Sea Island singers. What’s your personal connection to those songs? Or are they simply an extension of your feelings about music and place?

Jason: For me, with ‘Evening Mail,’ I don’t really have a personal connection with a person in prison waiting for the mail. I’m very drawn to the sounds of things and the sound of Riley Puckett singing that piece grabbed me.

Pharis: We have that song on an old record. The first time we put it on and listened to the whole record, it just stuck out. The same was true with ‘It Just Suits Me.’ I’m not a religious person so it’s not a message I felt the need to spread but the sound of that old recording is just amazing.

Long Gone Out West Blues isn’t all blues and bad times. ‘Come On Home’ is simply beautiful. It could just as well have been written by Mary Chapin-Carpenter. Will you tell me about that one?

Pharis: I think I was just having a rough day and wanted that feeling of somebody wrapping their arms around me and giving me a full body hug. I wanted to write a song that expressed that, just leaving everything behind and being welcome as you are. And I knew I wanted to sing the song with Jason as a duet with a little bit of call and answer. It turned out much the way I imagined it in my head.

Are you pursuing the same routes as a lot of bands — placing your music in TV and films, touring around your records — or are you satisfied with making albums and making instruments and sticking around Horsefly?

Pharis: Well, we just got back from a really fun tour and we love playing out. But, the banjo company keeps us close to home. Plus there’s a lot of hiking and fly fishing and gardening and community gatherings to attend to.