Classical Banjo? Marin Musician Uses Time in Isolation to Release New Music

Tim Weed has heard all the banjo jokes — the constant digs about the banjo in the movie Deliverance or the Beverly Hillbillies TV show. But a funny thing happens when Weed actually plays the instrument for people. Their mouths drop as his banjo releases a startling sonic flurry of notes, summoning the likes of Bach or Mozart. It only takes a stanza or two before the stereotypes are dashed.

“It sort of breaks down barriers of what people expect banjo to do,” Weed said, clutching his five-sting banjo festooned with “Weed” on the headstock.

While Marin County musician’s long career has roamed competently through a multitude of genres including bluegrass, Indian music and film composing, it’s his original classic banjo music that seems to cause the most whiplash.

“I very often have gotten responses such as ‘I love that and I don’t even like the banjo,'” Weed said with a grin.

As with most musicians, the pandemic snatched away all of Weed’s gigs along with the musical camaraderie of playing music with, and for others. Instead he dove inward and released an album of original classical banjo music, recorded with a full orchestra in Prague in […]

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