BanjerDan

If booked as a solo for a concert, I'll have banjo, guitar, and mandolin, all acoustic, and I prefer to use mics instead of direct inputs. I usually start my shows with an Earl Scruggs instrumental and a few more songs on banjo before moving to other instruments. My repertoire is rooted in Bluegrass music, branching out into many other styles, and I have a list of approximately 300 songs, mostly covers, so I can take requests or build a set list around what the host wants.

If booked for a private party or corporate event, I can be very flexible regarding sound system and location. I generally prefer to play acoustic if possible, but can bring my own small PA if required. I can be background music, a "wandering minstrel," or be more of a front man/emcee if required. I'm also good with children and have played a quite a few birthday parties, as well as library and school programs.

If booked as a band leader for a concert, I assemble a team of musicians based upon what the client wants and who is available. My band repertoire is Bluegrass/Newgrass, meaning that we're rooted in the music of Bill Monroe and the other original founders of Bluegrass, and can also cover a wide variety of other styles, ranging from folk and country to rock covers and maybe some jazz standards. My own PA is inadequate for band shows, so either the client would have to provide one or I'd have to charge extra to rent one. If booked as band leader for a private party, the repertoire is the same as above, plus we could work without a PA for quieter events.

BanjerDan (Dan Mazer) is a “banjo-centric” acoustic musician and entertainer based in Santa Cruz County, CA. His music is an Americana mix, rooted in straight-ahead bluegrass and branching out to include folk, country, blues, oldies, and other styles.

Dan was raised in the Washington, DC area, and started playing Scruggs-style banjo as a teenager in 1974. He learned his craft during the DC area’s heyday as “the Bluegrass Capital of the World,” and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory from George Washington University. He was heavily influenced by Earl Scruggs, Eddie, and Martha Adcock, the Country Gentlemen, and in particular the Seldom Scene.

Dan’s primary instrument is the 5-string banjo, but he also plays guitar, mandolin, and dobro. He has performed all over the U.S. and internationally, as a solo artist, in theatrical productions and symphony orchestras, and as a member of several bands, most notably “J.B. Beverley & The Wayward Drifters.” He has performed in venues ranging from street corner busking to bar/coffeehouse gigs, children's shows, private parties, and corporate events. Some of the more notable venues include Opryland, USA, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, the High Sierra Music Festival, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Dan was honored to perform overseas on behalf of the U.S. State Department, in Israel and at an Independence Day event in Panama.

I'm very flexible on all these accounts. I prefer to play my acoustic instruments into mics if amplification is necessary, and my banjo and guitar also have direct inputs. I can be a mobile, acoustic "wandering minstrel," or be stationary, standing, or seated.

My PA is a small portable unit suitable only for solo or duo shows, so band bookings require either that the client provides sound, or pay an extra stipend for me to rent a suitable PA.