Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 2, 1993 TAG: 9311020051
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tonight, the partially-restored downtown movie house will host its first live music concert featuring a national tour of banjo masters.
Sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the tour boasts seven accomplished banjo pickers of varying styles who together cover the history of the instrument from its origins in Africa to the bluegrass of today.
The concert will mark the rebirth of the long-neglected Rex, once Galax's only movie theatre. Closed for 10 years, it was bought recently by the Downtown Association to use as a home for its monthly Mountain Music Jamborees and other events.
The Jamborees, which typically feature regional bluegrass or mountain string bands, have been held outside in a converted parking lot. Plus, they haven't run through the winter months.
With the re-opening of the Rex, the Jamborees can come indoors, at least in the winter or when it rains. The first Jamboree at the Rex is scheduled for Nov. 20.
The theatre also should provide a place for the Downtown Association to more easily bring touring acts to Galax - like the Masters of the Banjo Tour.
Eventually, the Downtown Association hopes to fully restore the Rex. About $60,000 of the needed $250,000 in renovations have been completed - enough to make the theatre operational again.
Tuesday's banjo concert - proceeds will go toward further restorations - should prove to be an auspicious start. The stellar lineup includes:
Ralph Stanley. Along with his brother, Carter, he formed half of the pioneering bluegrass group, the Stanley Brothers. When Carter died in the late 1960s, Stanley continued as a solo act. His three-finger banjo playing technique epitomizes the high lonesome sound of bluegrass.
Seleshe Damessae. A native of Ethiopia, Damessae plays the krar, a six-stringed ancestor to the African banza, which was a predecessor to the American banjo. The krar most closely resembles the Appalachian fretless banjo, however. Damessae sings in Amharic, his native language.
Seamus Egan. One of the country's premier Irish musicians, Egan will demonstrate the Irish tenor and plectrum banjo styles first developed in Ireland in the 1840s. He plays a four-string banjo using a flat pick like a guitar pick, rather than the five-string banjo played with separate finger picks preferred by bluegrass pickers.
Will Keys. Lesser known than some of the other banjo players on the bill, Keys has a unique two-finger style rooted in old time mountain music. However, where most two-finger players lead with their thumb or index finger, which can limit the notes they plan, Keys lets his fingers roam wherever they are needed. Keys is also known for his trademark brown derby hat.
Carroll Best. The father of the melodic or "fiddle" style of playing, Best pioneered the three-finger style of echoing the fiddle note-for-note. He influenced a generation of younger players, including Tony Trischka and Bela Fleck.
Kirk Sutphin. From the Galax area, Sutphin will showcase the clawhammer banjo technique of traditional mountain music. The style is played by hitting down on the strings with the back of the fingernail to create a driving rhythm, while using the thumb to pick a melody.
Tony Ellis. A former member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, Ellis is equally renowned as both a skilled player and a respected songwriter, especially of music that features the banjo. His playing style is a blend of traditional old time and more contemporary bluegrass.
Accompanying the seven banjo masters will be fiddler Laurie Lewis, guitarist Dudley Connell and bassist Jimmy Trivette. The concert starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $8.
by CNB