Wednesday, February 17, 2021

History: Johnny St. Cyr


The banjitar has been around for more than a century, but Johnny St. Cyr holds the historical place of being the first person to be recorded playing one. Here is a great article about him. 

https://banjoboogie.com/2015/11/30/johnny-st-cyr/

St. Cyr also played guitar and tenor banjo, but he often played banjitar with Louis Armstrong's band. The extended range often allowed him to comp bass lines in the absence of a bass player. Video below shows him in the background. I love how fluid his playing is and how natural he is at voice leading when doing chords. 



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“Banjitar Epic” by G.D. West