Black Banjo Gathering

From March 23 to March 28, banjoists, scholars, old time, traditional jazz, and blues musicians will hold a Black Banjo Gathering Reunion at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Concerts, workshops, jams, panel discussions, dancing, lectures and frolics will commemorate the historic 2005 Black Banjo Gathering that gathered hundreds at the same site in April 2005.
The Reunion will feature lectures, workshops, concerts panels, films, outreach sessions to Appalachian State students and to the surrounding communities. Participants already secured include Tony Thomas, Cece Conway, Mark Freed, Rhiannon Giddens, Don Vappie, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Cheick Hamala Diabate, Corey Harris, the Ebony Hillbillies, Otis Taylor, Jerron Paxton, Joan Dickerson, Hubby Jenkins, John Cohen, Alice Gerard, Clarke Buehling, James Leva, Riley Baugus, Pete Ross, Andy Cohen, Art Rosenbaum, Greg Adams, Rick Ward, Gail Gillespie, the Dust Busters, Mebanairs, George Gibson, Rich Kirby, Doug Dorschug, Rusty Blanton, Tom Hansell, Dr. Laurent Dubois, Dr. Afi-Odelia Scruggs, Paul Sedgwick, Jim Lloyd, Trevor McKenzie, and Steve Kruger. Also planning to come on Friday is the last family tradition Black fiddler, Mebane, North Carolina's Joe Thompson a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow who provided so much inspiration, wisdom, and good singing and music at the 2005 Gathering.