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Twain Berg - John Balch and The Artistry of the Clawhammer Banjo
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John Balch and The Artistry of the Clawhammer Banjo

by Twain Berg

Most unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of meeting John Balch first hand. John lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and I live in the great Banjo Wasteland of America, northern Nevada. So in my search for banjo information, I ran across BanjoHangout.org.

There, truly excellent musicians such as John are kind enough to share their music with Hangout members on the Sound Off Forum. John offered up a really nice version of Soldier’s Joy and I was hooked on his music and the clawhammer banjo style. So, it didn’t take me long to order both of his CD’s Carry on John and HOT Biscuit Jam. If it is possible to wear out a CD, these are getting pretty thin.

Since then I have listened to a great deal of clawhammer banjo music but for me there are two exceptional qualities that bring me back to John’s music over and over.

First, many clawhammer CD’s feature tunes that all start to sound alike. While all of John’s songs are of the clawhammer method, each is very different from the next in terms of style, speed, feeling and mood and a variety instruments are used to accompany his banjo.

But most pleasing to me is that every tune seems to take me to a place I have never been or to a time I have never lived. That is the artistry and power of his musicianship.

TB: Can you give a little history in your pathway to clawhammer banjo music?

JB: It sounds like your feelings toward this kind of music are similar to mine. I love its power to communicate pure emotions. It is that power which can transport us to places we must only imagine... and I can’t get enough of it.

My musical experience has its roots in the relationship I enjoyed with my great-grandfather, Ben Franklin Gray. Granddaddy was born in 1897 and lived until I was a teenager. He was not a musician. But he was a brilliant man and a fantastic storyteller. He talked about music he heard growing up in rural North Alabama. In particular, he told of the storekeeper who kept a banjo hanging from a nail behind the counter. Whenever, they would visit that store, the old fellow would play his favorite tune: “Ida Red.” I never heard anybody play Ida Red until years later… but my Great Granddad’s tales of it were so vivid and his memories so fond that I could imagine how cool it must have sounded.

As a teenager, I saw John McEwen with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In the middle of a rock-and-roll show, John took the stage for a solo set. He stood up there in a buckskin suit, played the banjo clawhammer style, and recited an old poem called The Mountain Whippoorwill. The performance was amazing. The sound was magical. I was totally captivated. Since then, I’ve spent about 35 years pursuing that magic.

TB: Carry on John was your first CD. Is there a personal story behind the title and meaning of that CD to you?

JB: Wow! That’s a loaded question… I’ll give you the Readers’ Digest version. About five years ago I became ill with multiple sclerosis. For a while, I lost my ability to play any music at all. At first, it seemed that the loss might be permanent. That was pretty tough.

However as I began a slow recovery, a good friend asked me to contribute music for a CD to accompany a new book he had written. The book is: The Voice Of The Heart (Sage Hill Resources 2001) by Chip Dodd. Chip’s request motivated me to dig in, work very hard, and regain my musical ability. I was thrilled when three of my original compositions were published with Chip’s very inspirational book. That success became encouragement to pursue a complete CD of my own music.

Carry On John is the name of final tune I wrote for my first CD. I was writing it when I learned of John Hartford’s passing. I met John casually on a few occasions. His music had been a big influence on me. I named the tune Carry On John wishing that his musical legacy would be ongoing. Later as my own CD project took shape, I realized that the title meant far more. I had regained something very precious which I thought was lost. Suddenly, my music was a brand new gift for me to enjoy and share in a much greater way than ever before. I thank God for that gift! Carry On John was more than the name of one final tune. It was a command for me to move forward …taking nothing for granted…and making the most of all of life’s greatest gifts.

TB: I love both CD’s, how is Hot Biscuit Jam different than your first CD?

JB: The first CD, Carry On John, is totally centered on the banjo. All of the other instruments and Jim Wood’s brilliant arrangements are specifically designed to showcase my banjo and the melodies. The recording techniques we used placed the banjo front and center. It was a tremendous amount of fun to make that record.

~HOT~ Biscuit Jam was a different concept from the beginning. I wanted my second CD to sound even more like a band. Before we made this record, Jack and Elizabeth Pearson and I had been casually jamming on several of these tunes. We tried to capture the dynamics of those jam sessions in the studio. On this CD, the banjo is the foundation for the arrangement… but not the dominant instrument. I think that is a very traditional role for the banjo in a string band. The banjo establishes melody, and provides rhythm and percussion. The fiddle and mandolin take the lead or play in unison or harmony with the banjo. We don’t really take breaks like in bluegrass. But there is a lot of movement and dynamics in the interaction of the instruments.

TB: June Bug on a String is one of my favorites. Can you share one or two of your favorites and tell us about them?

JB: June Bug… is the most fun of all the tunes to perform live. I love to tell the story about how I wrote it… then when we play it people understand all the action. That tune was written during Uncle Dave Macon Days one year when there was an abundance of June bugs. The pesky little critters were flying around, bouncing off the contestants on stage and causing all kinds of ruckus. One of the judges caught a June bug, tied a thread to its leg, and tied the thread to the back of his chair. That bug flew circles around the judges for the rest of the afternoon. I think you can hear a little bit of that action in Jim’s brilliant arrangement. Also from Carry On John, I get a lot of good feedback on Capshaw because it is such an unusual melody and Buckhorn because it has a old-time sound. From ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam, my favorites are Muscadine and the title cut. I like the way those arrangements swing. I’m sure those tunes arise from my longtime admiration of artists like David Grisman and Bela Fleck. I also like the more traditional sounding melodies in Cane Bottom Chair and Lexington.

TB: A CD project requires a huge amount of collaboration, can you talk about those who contributed to your CD’s?

JB: I’ve already mentioned Jim Wood. He is truly amazing! Jim is the only person ever to win the Tennessee state fiddle championship five times. In all, he has won more than 200 contest titles. Jim is a great fiddler and multi-instrumentalist. He operates a studio and record label. Jim composes and writes instructional materials. Lots of great music comes out of that little farm in Flat Creek, TN. But perhaps most importantly of all, Jim Wood is one of the best teachers anywhere. Some of his young students are destined to be great professional players of tomorrow… no doubt about it!

Jack Pearson is well known to fans of the blues and rock music as a former guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band. He is, without any exaggeration, one of the finest slide guitar players who ever scraped glass against steel. In recent years, Jack is playing the mandolin in addition to his other musical pursuits. Jack’s dad was a fine old-time banjo player. Memories of his dad’s banjo playing instill in him a deep love for old-time and bluegrass music. Now, Jack is becoming quite a good clawhammer banjo player himself. In fact… on his last stint with the Allman Brothers, Jack took his 1880s Dobson along on the band bus. How cool is that?… old-time banjo on the Allman Brothers’ tour bus.

Collaboration is the key to both of these CDs. Jim and Jack and the others: Elizabeth Pearson, Shad Cobb and Debbie Vaughn are all musicians whose talents are greater than mine. On top of that, they are true friends who gave me the gift of really caring about my music. It is the most unbelievable blessing for me to be associated with people of that caliber. In many respects, that is the most rewarding aspect of this whole thing.

TB: You featured Bart Reiter Banjos on Carry on John and Hot Biscuit Jam. More recently you have shared tunes on the Banjo Hangout that feature Jeff Menzies and Wayne Sagmoen banjos. How are they different?

JB: Banjos fascinate me. I am definitely afflicted with B.A.S. (Banjo Acquisition Syndrome). I have always traded banjos. I guess I’ve owned fifty or sixty at one time or another. Fortunately, I’ve never had that many all at the same time. But since I discovered ebay, I keep them coming and going a lot.

I’ve been a big fan of Bart Reiter’s banjos since the early nineties. I especially like his now discontinued Internal Resonator models. Carry On John was entirely recorded with one A-scale Grand Concert that Bart made for me in 1994. It has a Fairbanks style White Laydie tone ring underneath the Bacon donut ring. That Grand Concert is still the best sounding banjo I’ve ever placed in from of a mic. For ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam, I also used a custom Reiter banjo with a rare 12” internal resonator rim. That one has a huge open sound that is really special.

One that you mention is a fretless, 13” oak grain measure banjo made for me by Jeff Menzies. That is a really sweet instrument. It has an amazing presence. Notes seem to explode off that big calfskin tack-head. I recently recorded a new tune called Thompson’s Farewell on that banjo and posted it on the banjohangout.com. I got lots of good feedback about that one.

I’m also very pleased with my brand new Wayne Sagmoen banjo. I ordered this one on the recommendation of Adam Hurt. I was incredibly lucky that as my banjo was nearing completion, Wayne also finished the development of his new H. C. Dobson style tone ring. He called and asked if I would like the first of his new rings in my banjo… I didn’t even have to think about that one… of course I wanted it. I posted a recording of that banjo very recently. The feedback has been very positive. But I have to say that this banjo has a live sound that is difficult to capture on a recording. You need to hear this one in person to fully appreciate the impact of that tone ring.

TB: Can we expect to hear them on a new CD? If so, what can we look forward to?

JB: I plan to use some different banjos possibly including those by Menzies and Sagmoen on my next CD. In fact, I’m hoping to begin recording very soon. The next project will be simpler and more stripped down than the first two. I will work again with Jack Pearson and one or two other players. I want the tunes and arrangements to really showcase the hot musicianship of these friends. To do so, I plan to use fewer instruments. I’ll feature the banjo with only one or two other instruments not a full band. I think this record will be very challenging to make but also a lot of fun.

TB: John, besides recording, do you play at festivals or other public venues?

JB: Unfortunately I seldom perform publicly. I would really like to develop that part of my career in the future. I have performed the music from Carry On John with Jim Wood and his group called Terra Nova on a few occasions. That is a real blast. Terra Nova included: Jim and Inge Wood plus Grand Masters Fiddle champion: Daniel Carwile…. What a back-up band!After the release of ~HOT~ Biscuit Jam I was honored with a an invitation to play at Normandy Music Night in Normandy, TN. On that occasion, I was accompanied by: Jack and Elizabeth Pearson plus Jim and Inge Wood… It was unbelievable.

TB: Any chance of performing out west?

JB: I’ve been contacted about a workshop in Arizona next year. We’ll see what develops with that. I’d love to perform more. Maybe I’ll get the chance to do that one day.

TB: Finally, how do you manage a regular career, family, recording and performing? How is your family involved?

JB: My family is very supportive. I am extremely blessed in that regard. My children are all musical. But none are inclined toward a career in music. My wife is a talented artist and gardener. Sheila is not a musician herself but she very patiently tolerates all of the inconveniences that afflict a musician’s spouse. As far as managing career and music goes… I just try to work enough to keep food on the table… and play enough to keep my sanity. As long as I’m eating and picking… life is good.

TB: Thanks John for all the great music and the opportunity to help you share it with others.

You can visit John Balch’s website at: www.johnbalchmusic.com

John’s CD area available through:

www.elderly.com
www.countysales.com
www.cdbaby.com/all/jbalch

Capshaw Download the mp3: CapshawCopyright2002JohnDBalchfromCarryOnJohn.mp3 Cotton Chop Download the mp3: CottonChopCopyright2004JohnDBalchfromHOTBiscuitJam.mp3 HOT Biscuit Jam Download the mp3: HOTBiscuitCopyright2004JohnDBalchfromHOTBiscuitJam.mp3 June Bug On a String Download the mp3: JuneBugonaStringCopyright2002JohnDBalchfromCarryOnJohn.mp3 TAB for June Bug On a String below...