Last month, I was the bandleader, pianist, and singer in a show in Rochester, New York. It was a birthday concert, and the birthday “boy” was turning 90. The set list consisted of his favorite songs from folk and traditional artists, including Harry Belafonte, Leadbelly, and Odetta. For me, it was a return to my musical roots; I may have spent decades as a jazz performer, but old-time Appalachian music is in my heart, and five-string banjo is the first instrument I could play well. This concert gave me a surprising idea of what my future in performing might hold. As I say to my banjo when I put it back in it back in its case: “Stay tuned.”
A Personal Folk Revival
