During the Alison Krauss Windy City tour in 2018, Alison suggested I record an album of peaceful, meditative guitar pieces. I took her suggestion to heart. Order the cd or download here.

Usually in the mornings I spend some time in reading and reflection. For this album I'd pull my guitar out after this peaceful, reflective time. A period of experimentation would lead into an idea for a melody, mostly simple and peaceful, which would then lead into an idea for an arrangement. The melodies are variously inspired by the morning sunlight on our fields in Tennessee, walks in the Yorkshire countryside, a river in Scotland behind Huntly Castle, writers George MacDonald, John Donne, and C.S. Lewis, melodies of Stephen Foster, and ballad books from the 1800s. 

By late morning I would be adding another guitar, or shruti (a simple, accordion-like instrument). The idea was to let everything flow into the music from that early morning feeling of peace, focusing on simplicity, tone, and nuance, with the intention that listeners would be able to take away some of that peace for themselves. 

Some stellar voices added background vocals. Suzanne Cox, Sierra Hull, Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, and my daughter, Erica Block, all added some lovely, ethereal parts to the mix. 

For vintage guitar aficionados: most of the recording was made using my 1938 Martin D28, used on the AKUS albums Lonely Runs Both Ways and Paper Airplane.

A Light So Fair will be released Nov 29th digitally. CDs will be shipped on Dec 3rd. You can listen to two whole tracks, "Hope Sings" and "The River Deveron," clips of the others, and preorder at the RonBlock.Com Store

Some of you know I've been working for awhile on an album of peaceful, sparse instrumentals. Usually in the mornings I spend some time in reading and reflection.  For this album I'd pull my guitar out after this peaceful, reflective time each morning. A period of experimentation would lead into an idea for a melody, mostly simple and peaceful, which would then lead into an idea for an arrangement.

By late morning I would be adding another guitar, or shruti (a simple, accordion-like instrument). The idea was to let everything flow into the music from that early morning feeling of peace, focusing on simplicity, tone, and nuance, with the intention that listeners would be able to take away some of that peace for themselves.

Some stellar voices added background vocals. Suzanne Cox, Sierra Hull, Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, and my daughter, Erica Block, all added some lovely, ethereal parts to the mix. 

For vintage guitar aficionados: most of the recording was made using my 1938 Martin D28. 

A Light So Fair will be released Nov 29th digitally. CDs will be shipped on Dec 3rd. Listen to clips and preorder here: http://ronblock.com/album/1226294/a-light-so-fair-peaceful-guitar-instrumentals

These tuners are classy through and through, from the feel to the materials to even the box. I put the Gold/Galaith Ivory pegs on my Rich & Taylor (So Long So Wrong banjo) and have been using them on the Alison Krauss tour. The 10:1 gear ratio makes my job easy. I'll be putting them on my 1926 Gibson Granada and my Banjocaster this week. Check the Store page for more details!

My most recent record (or album, as Damien O'Kane would say) Banjophony has been out for nearly a month now and we've been thrilled by the brilliant response to our 'cooperating-banjos' sound! There are exciting bits of news we can't mention yet but, for now, here's what some people have been saying about Banjophony, which is available on Amazon as cd or download and iTunes. 

'Fuses together Irish and American bluegrass traditions with impressive ambition' - FOLK ALBUMS OF THE MONTH, The Guardian, July 2018 

'Individually Damien O’Kane & Ron Block are masters of their instruments. In Banjophony, they’ve taken a collective approach to create an album of incredibly captivating music' - Folk Radio 

'They have invented the title Banjophony to describe their sound. I would have called it simply gob-smacking' - 5*Review Spiral Earth 

'Banjophony goes deep into the American-Irish cultural connectivity in a soulful, intricate way' - Irish Music Magazine Official 

'The banjo has too often been the subject of jokes but this transatlantic duo has produced a truly magnificent album - Shire Folk Magazine (Sep/Oct 2018) 

'If you weren't up for swinging your pants to a banjo tune or two, you are now...Ron and Damien are flying the flag for making the banjo more cool and even sexier' - Louderthanwar 

'Banjo playing is the new rock n' roll and you better believe it after listening to this wondrous album' - 4* Review http://getreadytorock.me.uk/blog/2018/07/quick-plays-chinawhite-calm-for-the-restless-damien-okane-ron-block/

“I challenge banjo non-believers not to be moved by this transatlantic banjo union” - Lynette Fay BBC Radio Ulster 

'Absolutely delightful – a superb piece of music by two big banjo players. Working in harmony and tandem – a superb sound. Just so sweet' - BBC Radio Merseyside 

'Phenomenal! I was utterly blown away by these guys. Exquisite musicianship. My gig of the year' - Ralph McTell (after a live show). 

"Beautiful and wild...there are no boundaries here" - Jerry Douglas 

"Banjophony is the soundtrack of summer" - Kate Rusby 

Thanks for all the banjo love!

I'm so thrilled to announce this upcoming duo banjo record with Irish banjo wizard Damien O'Kane, with an amazing mix of U.S. and U.K. musicians. We'll be touring in late July and early August in the U.K. 

Artwork by Alkalart and design by Tom Pitts at Hand Drawn Pixels. 

"Like" our Facebook page here for updates, upcoming videos, and whatnot: https://www.facebook.com/DeeandRon/

Greetings! First of all, thanks so much to everyone who has participated in my online banjo workshop on RonBlock.com! It has been an amazing response. The workshop sessions and extra videos will be up on the site for a good long while, and the extras, including my Traditional Banjo Workbook, will continue to be given away as a part of the online course. If you're interested you can find the course at https://ronblock.com/home.  

2018 has shaped up very well for touring. I spent the end of January until the middle of February in the U.K., playing with Kate Rusby and Damien O'Kane at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, then headed to Yorkshire to finish recording Banjophony, a melding together of Damien's Irish four-string banjo style with my more bluegrassy approach. Damien is one of the best musicians I know, and I'm thrilled to work with him. We'll tour Banjophony in the U.K. this year, starting with the Underneath the Stars Festival and ending with the Cambridge Folk Festival on August 5th (I'll be playing with Kate Rusby there as well, and one other date on that U.K. trip).  

I came home Feb 13th, and on the 16th through the end of the month helped produce a ten-song, sparse, folky recording with Jackson and Ella Paul, a brother-sister duo from London with excellent voices and playing.  

Despite a minor flood in my studio due to a broken pipe, Ethan Jodziewicz and Barry Bales played bass last week on several of the Banjophony tracks, and Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, and Stuart Duncan are due here next week to add parts. 

I'll be guesting on March 17th at the Music City Irish Festival here in Nashville, and near the end of March I head to Sore Fingers, a bluegrass and old-time camp in Kingham, U.K., near Oxford - always a thrill to spend time with U.K. friends.  

When I get back I've got some dates at the end of April with The Vintage Martins (Eric Uglum and Bud Bierhaus) in Kentucky and Indiana, and then rehearsals for the Alison Krauss tour start. We tour, more or less, from mid-May until October - check www.ronblock.com/tour for specifics - not all dates are up yet; I'll post them as they are confirmed.

Best,  

Ron

Greetings, fellow banjo pickers! 

Have you had moments where you've wanted your playing to move along more quickly? Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to go to the next level? 

I've struggled with all those things. At nearly every level, I've plateaued and thought, "Is this it? Am I stuck here?" Since the age of thirteen I've been obsessed with learning how to play the banjo well, because going to the next level is always such a thrill. 

As a result I've had to develop some tried-and-true ways of doing things through experimentation and study. I've used these ideas for my 26 years with Alison Krauss & Union Station, for the O Brother soundtrack, and for everything else I've ever played on - and I'd love to share them with you. 

Just got this in an email: “I’ve just got to say, this workshop has been so much more than I expected….The effort you’ve put into this and the ground you’ve covered like a fog will keep me busy for years….Again, thanks so much. I call that a bargain, the best I ever had!” David W. 

TOPICS: Just a few of the things I've covered: 

Releasing tension (the thing that puts a lid on our dexterity). 

How I work on timing and feel. 

Dynamics. 

Tone. 

Backup. 

The trick to learning the neck well. 

String bending, vibrato, and working it all into rolls. 

Single-string playing. 

Slow playing. 

Clinch Mountain Backstep. 

Mollie Catherine Carter. 

Learning from recordings. 

How to practice effectively. 

Oh, I almost forgot the extras. By signing up for the workshop you'll receive free downloads of my banjo-oriented bluegrass record Hogan's House of Music, my Christmas Collection (18 holiday favorites), and a pdf of my long out-of-print The Traditional Banjo Workbook. 

I look forward to seeing you there. 

LESSONS WITH A PRO: 26 Years With Alison Krauss & Union Station, banjoist on the O Brother Soundtrack’s “Man of Constant Sorrow,” and on sessions with Dolly Parton, Kate Rusby, Dan Tyminski, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and many more. 

LEVEL: Broadly Intermediate - lots of material for not-so-beginners all through early advanced players. 

SUBJECTS: Playing without tension, improving timing and feel, dynamics, tone, string bending, vibrato, scales, single-string playing, transcribing, and more. 

BONUS MATERIALS: Each participant will receive free downloads of Ron’s banjo-oriented bluegrass cd, Hogan’s House of Music, his Christmas Collection of 18 holiday favorites, and a free download of the long out-of-print Traditional Bluegrass Banjo Workbook – a total of $49 in free extras. 

WORKSHOP REVIEWS: "As a guy who's been participating in this clinic I promise you the value you'll receive is worth FAR more than the price. I've done banjo camps, clinics, and lessons with the best in the business. The wisdom Ron imparts is second to none. You WILL be a better player, and you'll enjoy every second. You'll have a hard time putting your banjo down after the first session, and you'll be thinking about it all day at work after the second. And it only gets better from there." 

"Great class. Ron knows how to communicate; he 'teaches ideas' and is well prepared. No wasted time. The overall class experience is like having a one on one lesson with good friend." 

Thanks to all of the friends and fans who support my various and sundry musical adventures. It was a busy year, and I'm grateful for the opportunities I was given. 

Here are just a few of the highlights: 

Released two recordings - Trouble Go Down, with Jeff Taylor, and my own Leiper's Fork Christmas. 

Performed on Woodsongs in Lexington. 

Played shows with the Soggy Bottom Boys in California, Virginia, North Carolina. - Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales, Stuart Duncan, Mike Compton, Pat Enright, Jerry Douglas. These guys are a blast. 

Taught banjo at Jack Hatfield's banjo camp in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

Taught banjo at Sore Fingers in the U.K., and I'm going back this year to teach advanced guitar. A great bunch of folks.

Played banjo on four songs on Kate Rusby's Life in a Paper Boat - always a certifiable thrill to be a part of such great music. Life in a Paper Boat has gotten a lot of attention for Kate, and deservedly so. Great songs, top singing and playing, and out-of-this-world arranging and production.

Played my own shows in the U.K. with Sierra Hull. We played Kate Rusby's Underneath the Stars Festival, the Summertyne Americana Festival at the Sage in Gateshead, and shows in Tamworth at the Bolehall Manor Club and Sheffield's Greystone's. In the middle of this trip I recorded half of a collaborative record with Irish banjoist/guitarist Damien O'Kane and guitarist David Kosky at Pure Records out in the Yorkshire countryside. Sierra sat in on some of the sessions on mandolin. 

Played shows with Steve Martin - the band was myself, Stuart Duncan, Barry Bales, Jeff White, and Adam Steffey. 
Played several of my own shows with Clay Hess and Brennan Hess in California and North Carolina. 

Played Red Hat Theatre in Raleigh and the IBMA awards show with the Soggy Bottom Boys. 

Performed a video version of Leaning On The Everlasting Arms with Selah. 

Played with Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White Skaggs, and Leslie Satcher at a songwriter in-the-round in Franklin, Tennessee. 
Played shows with Buddy Greene, and a Christmas show in Macon, Georgia with Buddy and Jeff Taylor. 

Played Andrew Peterson's two Nashville Behold the Lamb of God shows. 

Played with Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson, Melonie Cannon, and Jim "Moose" Brown for Dolly's Smoky Mountains Rise telethon. 

Played on Alison Krauss's new record, Windy City, and on her videos featuring four songs from the record.

Played on Marc Martel's version of What Child Is This? and was featured in his video. I had the most hilarious time making it with him. 

I'm looking forward to another year of music!