Bill Evans

Join us for an evening of music and history as Bill Evans presents his "Banjo in America: 250 Years of American Music History" show. Yes, we know these events are usually hosted by Archie and Priscilla Warnock, but the timing didn't quite work out for them this time, so Betsy and Bryan Voss have jumped in to host the show in their lovely home in Townson, Maryland, a short distance north of Baltimore. This is a rare appearance by Bill on the East Coast and a unique opportunity to hear some great music and learn about the history of the most unique and identificable of bluegrass instruments. See what people are saying about Bill's show:

"He is able to reach into the banjo's past to make a sublime statement of its future...to create a sound firmly rooted in tradition but still fresh and vital." Tim Bond, Bluegrass Now

"It's one thing to be a strong progressive banjo player; another to excel at the traditional end of the spectrum. To be able to add an indelible mark to the whole history of the instrument is getting ridiculous. High kudos to Bill Evans." Tony Trischka

Bill Evans is well known within the bluegrass music community not only as a musician, but also as a teacher, writer and scholar. The Banjo in America concert brings together these interests in a unique presentation designed for the concert stage. Tracing the banjo from its West African roots to the New World, Evans performs musical examples from the 1700's to the present day on a variety of vintage instruments, ranging from a African gourd akonting to a mid-19th century minstrel banjo to a prewar Gibson flathead Mastertone, explaining how the banjo has been at the intersection of American musical and cultural exchange for over 250 years. From an 18th century African dance tune to the music of the Civil War, and from early 20th century ragtime to folk and bluegrass banjo styles, The Banjo in America informs while it entertains, exposing audiences to over 200 years of American music.

A Virginia native and San Francisco Bay Area resident, Bill Evans is a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology from the University of California, Berkeley and is the author of Banjo For Dummies from Wiley Publishing. He has taught courses in American music history at San Francisco State University, the University of Virginia and Duke University. He has performed with Dry Branch Fire Squad, the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Peter Rowan, Laurie Lewis, Maria Muldaur, and Robin and Linda Williams. His most recent solo CD Bill Evans Plays Banjo, featuring John Reischman and Rob Ickes, was named a Top 10 Bluegrass CD of 2002 by the Chicago Tribune in addition to being named a top instrumental CD of the year by County Sales.

Evans has presented The Banjo In America throughout the western United States as well as at Kobe Shoin Women's University, Kobe, Japan; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Carleton College, Northfield, MN; Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; Clarion Music Center, San Francisco, CA; Border Folk Festival, El Paso, TX; and Columbia Gorge Mixed Bag Music Festival, Stevenson, WA; among others. In 2001, Bill presented The Banjo in America as part of a two-week national tour of Japan.

Please join us on November 9 for an evening with this extraordinary entertainer and scholar.

We are located in Towson, MD, just outside of I-695 north of Baltimore. Directions will be provided when you make your reservation with Betsy.

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