Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/19/2026:  09:18:22

Greetings banjo enthusiasts! I'm excited to share that my upcoming album, Mountain States, is now available for preorder. The lead track, Departure Valley is available now and the rest of the album will be out May 8. Follow this link to check it out. 

Edited by - Johnny Bell on 03/27/2026 10:26:33

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/19/2026:  12:24:38

I find what passes for a continuo overwhelming, to the point I can’t really appreciate or enjoy the banjo. 

Edited by - Bill Rogers on 03/19/2026 12:24:58

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/19/2026:  13:42:25

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

I find what passes for a continuo overwhelming, to the point I can’t really appreciate or enjoy the banjo. 

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Thanks, Bill! I appreciate the feedback and the engagement. Admittedly, basso continuo/drone is not for everyone. Personally, I'm fascinated with exploring the banjo as a progressive drone instrument. 

CrazyCatLazy - Posted - 03/19/2026:  16:25:16

It's fine enough, but I don't understand your framing of this as being some brave new world for clawhammer banjo.
It's average banjo playing with a bit of synth droning in the background.

You're giving yourself a wee bit too much credit in the presser. It's pretty derivative and it's hardly changing the world of clawhammer, let alone music in general

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/19/2026:  18:12:11

quote:

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Originally posted by CrazyCatLazy

It's fine enough, but I don't understand your framing of this as being some brave new world for clawhammer banjo.

It's average banjo playing with a bit of synth droning in the background.



You're giving yourself a wee bit too much credit in the presser. It's pretty derivative and it's hardly changing the world of clawhammer, let alone music in general

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Thanks so much for the feedback! Really appreciate your perspective here. To be fair, the press release was written by the record label that is releasing the album. I would counter by saying that I'm not trying to change music in general. Just having fun and producing what I want to hear. 

ombudsmanofmerit - Posted - 03/19/2026:  19:05:54

This is excellent. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album!

Steve Perreault - Posted - 03/20/2026:  03:49:14

Looking forward to hearing this, Johnny. Congrats on the album!

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/20/2026:  07:05:05

quote:

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Originally posted by ombudsmanofmerit

This is excellent. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album!

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Thanks for checking it out! I appreciate the positive reinforcement. I'll post a follow up once the album is available in full. 

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/20/2026:  07:05:49

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Perreault

Looking forward to hearing this, Johnny. Congrats on the album!

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Thanks so much, Steve! 

Joel Hooks - Posted - 03/20/2026:  11:03:02

I wish you all the success with this project!

However, I have to admit that I thought I was having a stroke as I read the promotional copy.

writerrad - Posted - 03/20/2026:  11:12:44

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks

I wish you all the success with this project!



However, I have to admit that I thought I was having a stroke as I read the promotional copy.

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Well isn't this stroke style jazzed up.  He was doing the strokes

cheers

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/20/2026:  14:30:29

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks

I wish you all the success with this project!



However, I have to admit that I thought I was having a stroke as I read the promotional copy.

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Thank you, Joel! Means a lot coming from you. 

So sorry for the press release induced medical emergency. Glad it was a false alarm. I will always be fascinated by the writings used to sale music to the uninitiated.I suppose "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" can be applied to music criticism as well as music press releases.

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/20/2026:  14:32:11

quote:

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Originally posted by writerrad

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Hooks

I wish you all the success with this project!



However, I have to admit that I thought I was having a stroke as I read the promotional copy.

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Well isn't this stroke style jazzed up.  He was doing the strokes

 

cheers

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Lol! I love it! 

plunkyjunkie - Posted - 03/22/2026:  09:26:22

Sounds great Johnny!

Johnny Bell - Posted - 03/27/2026:  10:27:20

quote:

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Originally posted by plunkyjunkie

Sounds great Johnny!

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Thanks for the positive reinforcement, plunkyjunkie! 

pghmatt - Posted - 03/29/2026:  18:59:17

First track is interesting- reminds me a touch of some of the newer avant garde/ jazz adjacent experimental music I sometimes catch live locally. I have wondered what clawhammer might sound like running threw some reverse delay.

Matt Buckley - Posted - 04/04/2026:  14:52:22

quote:

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Originally posted by Johnny Bell

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

I find what passes for a continuo overwhelming, to the point I can’t really appreciate or enjoy the banjo. 

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Thanks, Bill! I appreciate the feedback and the engagement. Admittedly, basso continuo/drone is not for everyone. Personally, I'm fascinated with exploring the banjo as a progressive drone instrument. 

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I rarely post on the Hangout.  But I've been giving thought to this thread for some time.   Let me preface my comments by stating that I am making no judgment on the level of play on the banjo. 

First, I didn't read Bill's comment as complaining about "drone" in general.  He was suggesting, I think, that the drone overwhelmed the banjo, which was my take as well.  It was difficult to hear the banjo, making me wonder if the point was for the drone/atmosphere to enhance/augment the clawhammer, or was the clawhammer simply to enhance the drone/atmosphere.  For the record, I play three different kinds of Scottish pipes, including bellowspipes, so I'm a great fan of drones.  :)  Indeed, there are fine recordings out there of clawhammer with pipes (and therefore drones), tastefully mixed. 

Second, and this is perhaps just my pet peeve (rant?) in general, the term "progressive" is getting stale.  In 1967 Buffalo Springfield used clawhammer on Bluebird.  A couple of years later, Nitty Gritty used clawhammer to back up of Some of Shelley's Blues, a Michael Nesmith (Monkees) rock composition.  For the past 50 years and more, clawhammer has been used in all manner of non-traditional and/or out-of-the-ordinary settings.   I'm not sure what the right terms should be, but "bold", "new", "progressive" and the like just don't get at the heart of what may be really going on.  Rant concluded.  For now at least.