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Entertainment

Mixing old, new makes banjo player stand out

Mark Johnson's style of playing is so distinctive, it has its own name: clawgrass.

By LOGAN NEILL
Published November 4, 2005

SPRING LAKE - "Subtle" is not a word often used to describe the five-string banjo.

When most people think of the instrument, they're apt to conjure up Flatt and Scruggs' epic, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, or the classic Dueling Banjos theme from the film Deliverance, both of which illustrate the powerful driving force of the banjo in bluegrass music.

Yet, in the hands of Mark Johnson, the banjo takes on a very different personality. With his distinctive "claw hammer" style, the Dunnellon resident renders tones reminiscent of a throwback time to when the instrument was as popular in Victorian parlors as it was in hoedowns.

"When people hear the banjo played claw hammer style for the first time, it stops them in their tracks," Johnson said. "To me, it's more emotional than bluegrass style in that it's very old-sounding, even when it's played in a contemporary format."

Which is the whole idea behind what Johnson calls "clawgrass." With its mix of traditional and contemporary elements, Johnson's music has been hailed by banjo aficionados the world over. But if you ask Johnson about his role, he'll tell you that his artistic mission is simply to keep it real.

"Though I've tried to present the banjo with a different approach, it's not outside the historical context of the instrument," said Johnson, who will team up with Canadian mandolinist Emory Lester to perform at next week's Riverhawk Rhythm Festival at the Sertoma Youth Ranch.

"What I do is neither old-time, nor bluegrass, but people from both camps can appreciate it."

As Johnson tells it, he never had much exposure to bluegrass growing up in upstate New York. When he first picked up a banjo at age 15, he sought out Jay Ungar, a noted area old-time musician, for lessons. Ungar taught him the rudiments of claw hammer style (also known as drop-thumb or frailing), which is played without finger picks, using the thumb to play rhythm while the fingers pluck the melody.

However, when he asked Ungar to show him how to play bluegrass-style banjo, Johnson was told he would have to look elsewhere. Though Johnson went on to become an accomplished bluegrass player, he remained enamored by the warm and intimate sound of claw hammer style.

"I would sit for hours and try different things," Johnson recalled. "The more I searched around, the more I came up with."

An epiphany came not long after Johnson moved to Levy County in 1981 to take a job as a safety specialist for Florida Power Corp. At work he met bluegrass mandolinist Larry Rice, who invited him to a jam session at his house with his brothers Tony, Wyatt and Ronnie.

"Those guys were incredibly gifted musicians who were into bluegrass, but also a lot of other kinds of music," Johnson said. "Playing with those guys inspired me to branch out with my style. Everything just took off from there."

In 1997, Johnson and Lester were mutually introduced at a bluegrass festival. After a few hours of playing together, a musical bond was formed. Within a couple of months, the two were in the studio recording their debut CD, Acoustic Campaign. The album went on to receive critical acclaim in a number of acoustic music publications.

These days, Johnson divides his time between his duties as director of Levy County Emergency Management and performing at festivals and banjo workshops on weekends. As an artist representative for Deering Banjos, he's apt to be on the road nearly every weekend during the summer.

"For me, the thrill is knowing that I'm bringing something unique to the stage," he said. "Whenever someone comes up after a show and tells me that my music is different from anything else they've heard that day, it's a great compliment."

Logan Neill can be reached at lneill@sptimes.com or 352 848-1435.

WHAT: Riverhawk Rhythm Festival. Performers include Robert Earl Keen, Paul Thorn, the Tim O'Brien Band, the Waybacks, Michael Reno Harrell, Kane's River, Mark Johnson and Emory Lester, Sam Pacetti and others.

WHEN: Nov. 10-13. Show hours are 6:30-10:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 4-10:30 p.m. Nov. 11, 1-10:30 p.m. Mov. 12 and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Nov. 13.

WHERE: Sertoma Youth Ranch in southeast Hernando County. From State Road 50, take Spring Lake Highway south to Church Road and turn east. Take Church to Myers Road and turn south. The ranch will be on the west side of Myers.

ADMISSION: Adult gate admission is $15 Nov. 10, $25 Nov. 11, $45 Nov. 12 and $25 Nov. 13. Multiday tickets are available. Advance tickets also available.

INFORMATION: Call 863 984-8445 or visit the festival Web site at www.lindentertainment.com .