J.D. Crowe is an amazing banjo player, maybe the best I’ve ever heard. I’ve recently discovered music on YouTube, and stumbled onto a version of John Hardy by The Bluegrass All-stars. The banjo player in this band is J.D. Crowe and he puts on a banjo workshop.
Before I talk about the banjo, I have to at least mention the musicians who make up the All-stars. First, Tony Rice - guitar and vocals; Alison Krauss - fiddle; David Grisman - Mandolin; Mark Shatz - Bass and J.D. Crowe on the banjo. This group lives up to their name, just check out John Hardy. Here’s a picture of J.D. in the late 70’s.
This song is a demonstration of how to play backup on the banjo. J.D. plays so solidly - he uses a few different approaches on backup, and they all work great. I think what makes J.D. stand out from the crowd is his timing - it is always right on. His lead break is a work of art, and there is a great camera angle that shows off his picking. Relaxed, hardly describes J.D.’s stage presence - he appears to be playing without any effort at all. What an inspiration to be a better banjo player.
There are a few videos of J.D. on YouTube - in the clips I checked out he is nearly perfect. I’ll let you decide for yourself - search out some J.D. Crowe and get ready to learn how to REALLY play the banjo.
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