www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   In tribute to Gabe Hirshfeld, who we lost in December 2025. Gabe will always be remembered for his amazing sense of humour, his kind and generous nature, and of course his myriad contributions to the banjo community as a talented player, setup technician, and all-around awesome nerdy guru.   Consider a donation to […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   It’s a Freshly-Picked episode, talking to Picky Fingers alum Wes Corbett (of the Sam Bush Band) about his new album of original music titled “Drift” – available now on Adhyaropa Records! Drift has everything you want from a modern banjo album: creative compositions, interesting arrangements, and virtuosic playing from Wes and his all-star […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast This episode features Daithi Melia, banjoist for JigJam, the phenomenal Irish-American bluegrass band that has been seemingly everywhere recently, from the Grand Ole Opry to Grey Fox, and everywhere in between. Daithi is an incredible player, with a mastery of traditional bluegrass idioms, modern progressive banjo sensibilities, and of course a heavy dose of […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   It’s a Freshly Picked episode, featuring a banjo-centric deep dive into the brand new album from East Nash Grass, titled “All God’s Children” – featuring an interview with intrepid banjoist Cory Walker! ENG is one of those bands that seems almost impossible NOT to like: they have that elusive knack for sounding both […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   In this special episode, podcast hosts Keith Billik (of The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast) and Hilary Hawke (of Banjo Chat) square off by interviewing an entire panel of banjo instructors… and each other! This episode was recorded at a fun live event during the 2024 Ashokan Banjo Weekend at the Ashokan Center in […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Colton Crawford is the rare quadruple threat of 5-string banjo players: He plays banjo in the 2-finger, 3-finger, clawhammer, and flatpicked styles! He is best known for being an original member, performing, and recording as banjoist with The Dead South, a highly acclaimed band with whom Colton has toured the world. Although Colton’s […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Cynthia is a modern virtuoso of the 4-string plectrum banjo! She is celebrated not only for her talents in the traditional jazz/plectrum repertoire, but also for her original pieces and creative interpretations of different musical genres from around the world. Her accolades include the 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize and an inductee into […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   It’s a Freshly Picked episode! This time, we’re taking an in-depth look and listen to “Daggomit!” – the new solo project by banjoist Max Wareham. Max is best known as the longtime banjoist for bluegrass legend Peter Rowan, and as the author of the definitive book on Rudy Lyle. In addition to his […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Marc Horowitz (aka the “Banjo Whisperer”) is a fantastic player in both 3-finger and clawhammer styles: he came up in the  ’60’s folk scene in NYC, and became an in-demand sideman and session player, playing on commercials, movie soundtracks, and folk and pop music records, and many more. He’s a teacher, and lists […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   This is a re-mix of an interview from 2018 that was originally released as a 2-part episode. Ryan Cavanaugh is best known for his innovative approach to playing jazz on the 5-string banjo, his tenure with legendary saxophonist Bill Evans’s band Soulgrass, and his genre-defying solo recordings. Through his mastery and creativity, he […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Graham Sharp is a prolific, award-winning banjo player, singer, and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Steep Canyon Rangers, as well as several of his own solo records. One constant of the Rangers’ sound through the years is the presence of Graham’s expert banjo picking, whether that means hot licks […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   It’s a Re-mixed episode! The new-and-improved version of this classic interview with the great Mike Munford. Mike is best known for his recordings and performances with Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, as a banjo setup guru, and an afficionado of prewar Gibson flathead banjos. His thrilling style of playing earned him the 2013 […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Bob Carlin is among the world’s top innovators and prolific performers of clawhammer banjo, and is best known for his solo recordings, collaborations with artists such as Bruce Molsky, Cheick Hamala Diabate, John Hartford, Erynn Marshall, and as a longtime member of the legendary Hartford String Band. He also enriches the banjo world […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   This episode features Tim Ellis, a wonderful bluegrass banjoist best known for his years performing & recording with Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys. He has also worked as a sideman for various other professional groups and recording sessions, and released an album under his own name titled “Banjo Serenade.”   Sponsored […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast Today we have a follow-up episode to #152, which featured the engineers behind the innovative ToneDexter product, by Audio Sprockets. In this one, host Keith Billik demonstrates what ToneDexter can do, by programming wavemaps using every combination of 3 different banjo pickups (by K&K, Schatten, and EMG) and 5 different microphones (by Rode, Behringer, […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast This Bonus episode is a recording of a “Fireside Chat” session from the 2024 Great Lakes Music Camp, featuring legendary banjoist (and Bluegrass Boy) Bob Black! Bob shares his stories and experiences of his time playing and working for Bill Monroe in the mid-1970’s.   Contact the show: pickyfingersbanjopodcast@gmail.com Bob Black on the web: […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   This episode will tell you everything you want to know about ToneDexter, an innovative product from Audio Sprockets for live acoustic musicians that gives you the tone of a microphone, with the simplicity of using a pickup! Here to discuss that, as well as ToneDexter’s many other features, are James May and Josh […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Bob Black is a legendary bluegrass banjoist, best known for performing & recording with Bill Monroe, Kenny Baker, his current band Banjoy, and many others! He is a true master of the traditional bluegrass style, and was an innovator of the melodic style of playing fiddle tunes on banjo. He is also an […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Brad Campbell began playing professionally when he was just a teenager, and went on to tour, record, and perform with bands such as Gary Adams & the Bluegrass Gentlemen, Wendy Smith & Blue Velvet, and finally landed his dream gig playing with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Brad is the very definition of hard-driving […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   This episode is a new-and-improved remix of Episode #26 from May of 2019, featuring banjo phenom Jens Kruger. Jens is the longtime banjoist and composer with acclaimed bluegrass group The Kruger Brothers, and has inspired a generation of musicians with his dazzling, inventive, and soulful playing. He is also an innovator in banjo […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Johnny Baier is one of the world’s foremost performers, entertainers, and educators of the 4-string tenor and plectrum banjos. A true virtuoso and student of the traditions of the instrument, Johnny lays down some serious knowledge for any of you unfamiliar with the 4-string banjo world! He is also the director of the […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Welcome back to Ned Luberecki, the star of Episode #13! Since our last interview, Ned has continued boldly taking the banjo to places no man has gone before! His primary performing gig is with the Becky Buller Band, which just released “Jubilee” which reached #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts! Ned is also […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Rachael Davis is an incredible singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist – including some mad clawhammer banjo skills! She is currently Nashville-based and has toured far and wide, but she was raised in Michigan, where she became and remains a folk music legend! She is best known for performing & recording her original solo material, […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   Randy Barrett is a great banjoist in both 3-finger & clawhammer styles, a singer, songwriter, educator, and author. He is best known for his three solo recordings, and his performances with Big Howdy, a Washington, D.C.-based bluegrass band, and as President of Bluegrass Country Radio. His recent book “On Banjo” was a collaboration […]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast   In this demonstration episode, Keith runs down the list of all the major effects food groups and gives a live demonstration of what they all sound like with acoustic banjo! 03:01 – Intro, overview of episode 15:17 – Dry Banjo Sound (EMG ACB Barrel pickup through Grace Design Felix Preamp) 16:57 – Octave […]