The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Cynthia is a modern virtuoso of the 4-string plectrum banjo! She is celebrated not only for her talents in the traditional jazz/plectrum repertoire, but also for her original pieces and creative interpretations of different musical genres from around the world. Her accolades include the 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize and an inductee into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame, the first banjoist to win the 2019 Bistro Award and 2018 Global Music Awards, and in 2018 the first 4-string jazz banjoist to be a featured artist at the iconic Newport Jazz Festival. Cynthia rose to international prominence as a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band, and has played with leading jazz, popular, and roots music artists including Bucky Pizzarelli, Dick Hyman, Andy Statman, Les Paul, Marvin Hamlisch, Wynton Marsalis, Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Vince Giordano, The Kingston Trio, Scott Robinson, and many others. Sayer has appeared as a guest and performer on CBS, FOX & ABC network television, on NPR's "Piano Jazz," and elsewhere. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, DownBeat, Fretboard Journal, People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and countless other local, trade, and foreign media outlets. Cynthia Sayer is also an avid educator. She has been a guest clinician at The Berklee College Of Music, The New School and others, given multiple educational programs at Lincoln Center, in public schools, and more. She's on the faculty of the NY Hot Jazz Camp, and gives lessons and workshops. Her play-along program, You're IN The Band is popular with players of all instruments learning and practicing traditional/hot jazz and swing. Her newest book for banjo, guitar and mandolin, The Swinging Solos Of Elmer Snowden, was published in 2022. Cynthia lives in New York City and endorses Ome banjos, GHS Strings, Blue Chip Picks, and The Realist Banjo Pickups by David Gage. Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos Cynthia on the web: https://cynthia-sayer.squarespace.com/

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Marc Horowitz (aka the "Banjo Whisperer") is a fantastic player in both 3-finger and clawhammer styles: he came up in the '60's folk scene in NYC, and became an in-demand sideman and session player, playing on commercials, movie soundtracks, and folk and pop music records, and many more. He's a teacher, and lists a guy named Bela Fleck among his former students. He's a setup technician, personally entrusted by Steve Martin to maintain Steve's stable of instruments. Marc now works as a design consultant with Gold Tone Banjos, and helped bring into existence their flagship Bluegrass Heart model. Sponsored by Peghead Nation, Elderly Instruments, Sullivan Banjos, and Bluegrass Country Radio Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Graham Sharp is a prolific, award-winning banjo player, singer, and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Steep Canyon Rangers, as well as several of his own solo records. One constant of the Rangers' sound through the years is the presence of Graham's expert banjo picking, whether that means hot licks on a fast bluegrass tune, tasteful support of a down-tempo song, or even navigating double banjo performances alongside the band's longtime collaborator Steve Martin. Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos Graham on the web: https://grahamsharp.com/ https://www.steepcanyon.com/ Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Bob Carlin is among the world's top innovators and prolific performers of clawhammer banjo, and is best known for his solo recordings, collaborations with artists such as Bruce Molsky, Cheick Hamala Diabate, John Hartford, Erynn Marshall, and as a longtime member of the legendary Hartford String Band. He also enriches the banjo world through his substantial work as an author, folklorist, and instructor. Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Sullivan Banjos, and Bluegrass Country Radio Photo by Mac Carbonell Bob on the web: http://www.bobcarlinmusic.com/ Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Today we have a follow-up episode to #152, which featured the engineers behind the innovative ToneDexter product, by Audio Sprockets. In this one, host Keith Billik demonstrates what ToneDexter can do, by programming wavemaps using every combination of 3 different banjo pickups (by K&K, Schatten, and EMG) and 5 different microphones (by Rode, Behringer, Shure, Audio Technica, and Mesanovic). Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Sullivan Banjos, and Bluegrass Country Radio Episode Time Codes: Intro & explanation of WaveMap Shootout - 03:40 Microphone Base Samples (Not using ToneDexter): Rode NT5 (Small diaphragm condenser) - 12:27 Behringer ECM8000 (Omnidirectional measurement microphone) - 17:27 Shure SM57 (Dynamic cardioid) - 22:29 Audio Technica AT4047(Large diaphragm Condenser) - 27:05 Mesanovic Model 2 (Figure 8 ribbon) - 31:46 Pickup Base Samples (Not using ToneDexter): K&K Banjo Twin - 40:38 Schatten BJ-02 - 47:13 EMG ACB Barrel - 53:47 Wavemap Samples K&K Pickup wavemaps: Rode NT5 - 42:18 Behringer ECM8000 - 43:18 Shure SM57 - 44:16 Audio Technica AT4047 - 45:14 Mesanovic Model 2 - 46:14 Schatten Pickup WaveMaps: Rode NT5 - 48:26 Behringer ECM8000 - 49:29 Shure SM57 - 50:32 Audio Technica AT4047 - 51:38 Mesanovic Model 2 - 52:42 EMG ACB Barrel Pickup WaveMaps: Rode NT5 - 55:02 Behringer ECM8000 - 56:08 Shure SM57 - 57:16 Audio Technica AT4047 - 58:22 Mesanovic Model 2 - 59:30 Conclusion + Keith's Reaction - 1:00:36 Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast This episode will tell you everything you want to know about ToneDexter, an innovative product from Audio Sprockets for live acoustic musicians that gives you the tone of a microphone, with the simplicity of using a pickup! Here to discuss that, as well as ToneDexter's many other features, are James May and Josh Bennett, the engineers and developers behind the product. Stay tuned for part 2 of the ToneDexter episode, which will feature audio clips using various pickup & microphone combinations using the ToneDexter's wavemap technology! Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Sullivan Banjos, and Bluegrass Country Radio Tonedexter on the web: www.tonedexter.com Josh Bennett website: https://joshbennett.com.au/ Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Brad Campbell began playing professionally when he was just a teenager, and went on to tour, record, and perform with bands such as Gary Adams & the Bluegrass Gentlemen, Wendy Smith & Blue Velvet, and finally landed his dream gig playing with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Brad is the very definition of hard-driving bluegrass banjo with huge tone and impeccable timing! Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com