News

Sorry for the lack of news updates for the last...um...few years. Things have been pretty slow in the solo banjo realm, and there really hasn't been much to report.

That's not to imply that things haven't been busy, though. In the beginning of 2007, I rejoined Monroe Crossing, and I'll have played roughly 140 shows in 14 U.S. states (and the Bahamas) with the band before the year is over. Please feel encouraged to stop by Monroe Crossing's schedule page, and see whether we're going to be in your area (you can even type in your zip code to have nearby shows automatically highlighted).

A solo banjo recording will be forthcoming. Current plans are to record it in November, with the assistence of my dear friend and bandmate Mark Anderson, who helped me record and release my first solo banjo project back in 1995.

I'm also in the process of putting together a new web site for myself, which will encompass not only my solo banjo music, but also my other musical and technological interests. This site will appear at benjaminflaming.com (which currently contains a list of links to my aforementioned interests).

More news soon....

I will be performing next Thursday (July 8th) at Linden Hills Live. This free event takes place 3 times during the summer, and features a diverse range of music and other entertainment, performed by local residents. All stages are outdoors, in the business area at 43rd and Upton. Very little seating is provided, so you are advised to bring your own chairs. I will be performing at the "upper Co-Op" stage from 6:45 until 7:15. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Hope to see you there!

I thought it was about time for me to post a note confirming that I am, in fact, still alive and well, and that my solo banjo project will be forthcoming. I will begin recording this week. As time permits, I will be posting more information and a more detailed update on developments since my previous news item in March of 2001.

Last year, the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association asked its 1000+ members to vote for their favorite musicians in the "bluegrass", "old-time", and "related music" categories. To my great surprise and joy, I was voted "Favorite Related Banjo Player", and I was presented with the award on November 11th.

About that time, I was also moving forward with plans to start a recording studio with my good friend and musical collaborator Todd Running. We are nearly finished with the construction of our control room, and we will be operational within a month. Once the studio is functional, I plan to start work on my solo project.

Finally, I am delighted to announce that I am the new banjo player with Monroe Crossing, a Minnesota-based bluegrass band which I am thrilled to be a part of. You can find more information, and a current performance schedule, at www.monroecrossing.com

My weekly gig at the Acadia Cafe and Bakery is continuing through the end of March, after which it will move to a later once-a-month time slot.

This year has been very exciting for me. Over the past few months, I have been setting up a computer-based digital recording studio, and I hope to release a recorded project sometime within the next year or so.

I've made some of my more recent solo banjo compositions available via the internet at: http://solobanjo.iuma.com/ - the sound files at this site were recorded this past October, and are much higher quality than the files previously available from my web site.

On January 4th, I will begin weekly performances at Acadia Cafe and Bakery. These performances will take place every Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. Acadia is located in Minneapolis (MN), at the intersection of Nicollet and Franklin. The address is 1931 Nicollet Avenue S., and the phone number for information is 612-874-8702. It is a very pleasant, smoke-free environment, and I encourage you to come if you can. I hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas!

Sound files are finally here. Those of you who have not heard my solo banjo music can now do so. Due to sound quality issues, I decided against using the RealAudio format. You may need to download an MP3 player, such as WinAmp to play the files.

Thanks to all those who threw caution to the wind, and came to hear me on Friday the 13th!

Now that Winfield and IBMA are behind me, things should calm down for a while. I finally caught up on email replies a few weeks ago, and I've finished recording and designing my new demo tape. I have the contents the tape in .WAV audio format, and I will soon be converting it to RealAudio, and making it available from this site.