Howard Alden
I had a fun couple of days in the studio recording with fellow banjoists Rob Wright and Tyler Jackson, recording a wide variety of music for our ongoing collaboration The Great Banjo Summit And Other Things With Strings. In addition to my tenor banjo, Tyler's tenor banjo and Rob's plectrum banjo, we also utilized my tenor guitar and 7-string acoustic arch-top guitar made by Benedetto Guitars, Savannah GA USA, Tyler's vintage Gibson L-7 tenor guitar and Rob's custom-made plectrum guitar, and three ukuleles! Bassist Evan Dain and drummer Ray Templin contributed their sensitive and solid support, and I did some vocal work as well. Tyler and I recorded a 2-tenor version of Harry Reser's showpiece "Lollipops", we did some Brazilian music, ragtime, fun 1920's classics, and lots of other surprises. A pleasure to work with these fine musicians and wonderful folks! PS-we'll be taking applications for strong and enthusiastic roadies to bring all this stuff to our concerts....
Rob Wright
What a joy and a privilege working with such great players. My plectrum banjo is a 1964 Vega Vox IV Deluxe. On Bye Bye Blues I played Eddie Peabody’s 1967 Vega Vox IV Deluxe used on his last tour in 1968. Thanks to Rob McLawhon for bringing it to the session. My plectrum guitar is a one-of- a-kind made by John Allison. The banjo ukulele is a Shelling and Shelling from the 70s. Howard played my Luna concert ukulele and Tyler played my Cordoba tenor ukulele. See some of Rob Wright Solo with Tucson Pops May 2019
email rob: tradbanjo (use at symbol) comcast.net
Tyler Jackson
Making a new recording is something I always look forward to, but getting to do so with great friends, playing great tunes, and being in an amazing studio environment made this an experience I'll never forget. I needed to choose the right instruments to make my sound stick out in the mix, but also blend well with Howard and Rob. I chose my Mondello "Blue" banjo as my main axe. This banjo was built for me in 2013 by my dear friend Vinnie Mondello and was inspired by the Scott Chinery blue guitar collection. On Bye, Bye, Blues and Lollipops I chose to use my 1931 VegaVox III which has a brighter tone and sat better in the mix. For the guitar tunes I used my 1958 Gibson TG-7C arch top. This instrument features a cutaway for easy access to high notes and a floating DeArmond pickup which produces a nice vintage amplified tone. I'm really proud of how this project came together and I look forward to future collaborations with these great guys. My hope is that you enjoy listening to these tunes as much as I enjoyed playing on them.
Derek Pell
Derek Pell is a multi-genre violinist from Nashville, Tenn. He toured with Ray Price and The Cherokee Cowboys for more than five years. After Price's passing in December, 2013, he continued his musical career, touring with The John Jorgenson Quintet, Occidental Gypsy, Paul Bogart, and other performers. He is regularly found in the recording studios in Nashville, producing strings and fiddle tracks for various artists as well as Film & TV. His band, Hot Club Time Machine, performs regularly in Nashville featuring an inspired blend of swing, gypsy jazz, world music, bluegrass, classic country, and even a little Stevie Wonder.