Fresh for spring, 18-year-old “banjo heartthrob”, songwriter, and vocalist Ettore Buzzini releases his new single, “Flowers,”on the Patuxent Music label, available March 27 on all major streaming platforms. Written by Ettore and produced by Tom Mindte, label owner and founder of Patuxent Music, the release continues to show that Ettore’s talents go beyond his prowess as a banjo prodigy, highlighting his penchant for songwriting and composition.

“Flowers” is, on the surface, a straightforward bluegrass love song, a springtime frolic with Ettore’s signature banjo flourishes. But it’s also an homage to his Swiss family’s musical roots and influence. Ettore’s prior release, “Don’t Love Me,” translated a nineteenth century poem into traditional bluegrass form. “Flowers” highlights his songwriting and composition talents.

Doug Rorrer from Eden, North Carolina, grew up listening to and learning from his father ‘s old 78 rpm records. Doug ‘s early influences included the recordings of his family members, great-uncles Charlie Poole and Posey Rorer who recorded in the 20s and 30s.  His guitar influences included Riley Puckett, Roy Harvey, and Gene Meade.  One of his most influential musicians was Doc Watson.  Doug was fortunate enough to be able to visit Doc and pick with him. On this recording, Doug emulates his guitar heroes in his rhythm and flat picking. He ’s joined by several stellar musicians on this recording, including several tunes with his son Taylor Rorrer, who is a well established musician in his own right. Taylor plays fiddle and banjo on several of the tunes. 

Over the years, Doug has performed and taught workshops at numerous music festivals, including Celtic Connections (Glasgow, Scotland), Festival of American Fiddle Tunes (Port Townsend, Washington), Chicago Folk Festival, Augusta Heritage Festival (Elkins, West Virginia), and Smithsonian Folk Life Festival (Washington, DC).

Shannon Bielski and Moonlight Drive delivers hard-driving instrumentals paired with heartfelt, thoughtfully crafted original songs. Their music blends traditional bluegrass foundations with progressive elements, showcasing tight ensemble playing, expressive solos, and rich vocal arrangements. The band’s songwriting draws from personal experience and classic bluegrass storytelling, creating material that feels both timeless and fresh.

Carroll Best - Pioneer of the melodic banjo style

“That was really what I liked: playing those hornpipes. ...
So I just started playing what the fiddle played.”
~ Carroll Best

In 1945, lacking a fiddle player for a square dance, North Carolinian Carroll
Best became the first three-finger, bluegrass-oriented [banjo] player to
conjure a fiddle tune in the melodic style.
--Tony Trischka, Introduction to Master Collection of Fiddle Tunes for Banjo,
2011  more...

“Mirror on the Wall,”  “If You Leave Me Tonight I Will Cry”, “Out on the Ocean,” “That’s Why I’m Lonesome,” “The Cold Hard Facts of Life,” and “Mommy Won’t Stay Home,” were recorded between 2011 and 2015 for an album that we never finished. I wanted to release those songs, so I added a few more from assorted sessions to complete this release. “It’s a Long Long Way to the Top of the World” and “Will the Angels Play Their Harps?”were recorded in 2005, but were missing a couple of instruments, so we completed those in 2015. “Long Time Gone” was a demo with Dede Wyland that we used to book some shows in Ireland in 2005. “Scramble” was previously released on The Patuxent Banjo Project, in 2014.

So, It’s a collage of things thrown together, but I think you’ll enjoy it. Thank you for listening.

Young Swiss-American Bluegrass prodigy Ettore Buzzini has a Generation Alpha take on Bluegrass, rooted in tradition, but with an innovative, colorful playing style that is irresistibly distinct. We are excited to announce the release of the second single from his upcoming Patuxent album.

Ettore combines his Swiss background with his love of the banjo music of Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, and J. D. Crowe to create a unique sound, traditional, yet innovative. more....

I Do Just What I Do is a musical expression with more than a little panache. Eleanor Ellis has recorded some very fine, musically superb albums over the years. This feels different. This record is an expression of love for those who mentored her and took her on stage with them. This is her rhapsody, her magnum opus. When listening to it, you metaphysically bond with all the musicians who loved and embraced her. This is her love note back to them, an album in a class by itself. If Eleanor Ellis had never recorded anything before and after this album, it would not matter. I Do Just What I Do is her ultimate masterpiece, the work of a mature artist who is solidly confident and on top of her game. ...more

If ever there was a modern bluegrass band worthy of note as both a leader in innovation and a transmitter of tradition, it would be the Country Gentlemen.  They naturally and seamlessly fused those two paths, doing so with a contagious enthusiasm and high-level musical excellence that greatly increased the size and spectrum of the bluegrass fan base and inspired countless musicians' hearts and minds to stretch.  Without a doubt, the Gents impacted the entire bluegrass genre while catching the ears of folk, country, rock'n'roll and pop fans too.  

...And if ever there was any single bluegrass band today with the most respect for that iconic group's sound, it would be the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band, who are carrying on that tradition in the same spirit of high standards and expansive inclusiveness.   

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Bernard's fascination with the resounding thunder of the drum set began at an early age. His legacy of playing percussion is rooted in his childhood, where he was the drummer for his church choir at age 9. Bernard reflects on such greats as Elvin Jones and Jazz Messenger phenomenon Art Blakely and attributes Steve Ellington and Billy Higgins as major influences in his style.

While studying at Rutgers University, Bernard formed invaluable and lifelong associations with some of the most respected names in Jazz, including Kenny Barron, Grady Tate, Michael Carvin, Larry Ridley, Paul Jefferey and Ted Dunbar.  A proven and articulate clinician, Bernard served as part of a clinic conducted by the legendary saxophonist Sonny Stitt. more.....

Dreaming about winning the lottery is just that for most people – a dream. It became a reality for banjoist Alan Munde when he won the 2021 Steve Martin Banjo Prize. The windfall allowed him to go to the studio and record his thirteen original compositions and two Elliott Rogers's penned tunes that make up this collection. Alan surrounds himself with many mandolin hugs and the sweet sounds from some of his favorite pickers on these new recordings. Excelsior is a collection of Alan's original music written to showcase his strong remembrances of people or places he encountered in his 50-plus years of music. more.....

On this live concert album recorded in 2017 and 2022, Stephen Wade draws from songs, melodies, and styles rooted in Southeastern folk tradition. Based on a lifetime of personal contact with exemplars of this music, his performances attest to a welcome truth: that individuals adapting a traditional tune can renew a shared repertory. These performances feature a variety of five-string banjos—open back, resonator, a wooden-hooped mountain design, a gourd, and a Civil War-era fretless—as well as guitar. In addition to solos, Stephen is joined by multi-instrumentalist Zan McLeod and Dobro-player Russ Hooper. This collection, equally divided among old favorites, new interpretations, and numbers he has never previously recorded, forms a companion to Stephen’s forthcoming book, Our Common Life: Folklore from the Front Porch to the Concert Hall (University of Illinois Press). 72-minutes with illustrated booklet.

A 2013 Grammy nominee, Stephen authored the prize-winning book The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience. Prior to that work he edited and annotated A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings, and for a decade wrote and narrated a series of occasional song studies for NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. On Labor Day 1979 he performed for President Carter at the White House.

Mark Schatz-
Mark Schatz was born April 23, 1955 into a musical family. He began his formal musical training with cello at age ten and later switched over to string bass. His first performance was in 1971 on electric bass in a high school rock band. Inspired by a love for folk and traditional music, he took up the guitar, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo. He received his Degree in Music Theory and Composition from Haverford College, and studied for a year at Berklee College of Music.

Bryan McDowell is a person predictable only in his consistent excellence.
Fiddler, vocalist, and master of stringed instruments, his reputation is solidifying as a musician of great interest on the acoustic scene.     more....