| About Benjamin Rigby | Artist Information Biography I was raised in upstate New York on a steady diet of Grateful Dead, Phish, and other "jam-band" styles; however, over the last decade I've managed to make a new home in St. John's Newfoundland, Canada where I began my immersion in traditional styles of fiddle tunes from Canada and the United States. After crafting my own way of playing the five-string banjo I'm now taking it on the road to make friends, share tunes, and learn something new. I began teaching myself traditional clawhammer banjo in 2007 during which time I was involved in the locally popular folk quartet "Dead Language" releasing our debut CD in December, 2009. After releasing another album with "All the Wiles" in 2011 I began to think seriously about my own project. My banjo influences stem from Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Boggs, Walt Koken, and contemporary musicians Old Man Leudecke, Chris Coole, and Jason Romero. As well as music of the "classic" banjo era and classical guitarist Mauro Giuliani. My solo banjo pieces attempt to establish an overall atmosphere through the use of a number of tunings and unique harmonies and phrasings. |
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