Video – The Grimm Tailor

Dedicated to the many clever, courageous, and cunning tailors of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. This is track 6 on my new CD.

New e-mail list

As you may have noticed, I’ve finally set up an e-mail list, to which I’m sending out monthly updates regarding my creative activities. New subscribers are automatically sent a link which enables them to download a free MP3 of a special solo banjo performance (a short suite of melodic highlights from my new CD; arranged, performed, and recorded specifically for the list.) You can subscribe at http://benjiflaming.fanbridge.com/

More ways to get the solo banjo CD

My solo banjo CD (or individual tracks) can now be purchased via electronic download from DigStation. The downloads are normal MP3s – unencumbered by any silly DRM.

You can also buy the disc locally in Minneapolis at the Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, located near the intersection of 66th & Penn.

The wait is over!

After roughly a decade of empty threats, my solo banjo CD is now officially “available”.  The disc contains 12 original solo banjo compositions, clocking in at 32 minutes and 54 seconds. Thanks so much for your patience! :)

Just a few more days….

I am now in physical possession of my long-delayed solo banjo CDs. I’ll probably need another day or two yet, to set up some infrastructure, but I’ll begin taking/shipping orders on (or before) this coming Tuesday, December 1st.

New site: BenjiFlaming.com

Today, I took a break from work on the forthcoming solo banjo album, created a new web site header which ties in with the album artwork, and moved much of this site’s content over to a new site at BenjiFlaming.com.

This change will enable me to post news items which are personal, geeky, or otherwise unrelated-to-solo-banjo music, without cluttering up this site. If you are reading this note on Facebook, be aware that there may be a few glitches as Facebook sorts out the importing of content.

New video – The Golden Key

As promised a few hours ago, here’s the new video:

This is one of the new tunes written for the soon-to-be-released CD.

Solo banjo CD forthcoming….

I’m disappointed to say that the solo banjo CD isn’t quite ready today. The recording has been completed however, and the only thing holding up duplication is the completion of the cover artwork and liner notes – both of which will be finished this week. Allowing for duplication time, my hope is to release the disc on October 20th (which happens to be my birthday). It is possible, however, that the release may happen as late as November 1st. Regardless, the disc will be available soon.

In the meantime, I’ve recorded another solo banjo video, which I will be posting within the next couple of hours (pending the resolution of some software issues).

Solo banjo CD available September 22nd

With Monroe Crossing’s new CD, Heartache & Stone, set to release in a couple of weeks, I’m happy to announce that my solo banjo CD will following close behind. Specifically, my CD will be going on sale here at this web site shortly after midnight (Central Standard Time) on September 22nd, 2009.

The disc, which will be aptly (if unimaginatively) titled Solo banjo, is roughly half an hour in length, and contains 14 tracks, all of which are original solo banjo compositions. I’ve listened through the rough version several times with friends and family, and I’m very pleased with how the project is sounding.

Ah, spring!

The year is off to a wonderful start! After a January/February tour of the warmer southern states, Monroe Crossing returned to MN for a week or two, before flying out to Tacoma, WA, for our first appearance at the Wintergrass festival (where I was introduced to a marvelously eclectic band called The Paperboys – who I’d highly recommend).  We were also in-town this year to perform at Minnesota’s own Winter Bluegrass Weekend, which gave me a welcome opportunity to spend a bit of time with some of my very dear friends in the MN bluegrass community. Last weekend, the band was down in Rochester, performing the The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass three times with the fantastic Choral Arts Ensemble there.

The recording studio which my friend Todd and I have been working on for the last few years is tantalizingly close to being operational. A bit of paint, flooring, trim, and electrical finishing are all that separate us from a beautiful workspace.  Then, of course, will come the task of convincing all of our equipment to cooperate after years of neglect. ;)

In February, with the practical challenges of recording in an apartment being what they were, and with a proper studio seeming so close to readiness, I decided to delay finishing my solo banjo CD.  Over the last week or so, however, I’ve decided to push forward and finish the recording at home, impracticalities notwithstanding. I am now 2/3 of the way through the recording process, and I am optimistic about finishing within a week.

I realize that this news update has been a jumble of bland and disconnected paragraphs, and I’m quite grateful if you’ve read this far. I will attempt to avoid such ghastly writing in the future, by posting smaller updates with greater regularity and higher frequency. :)