Florida Banjo CD and T's too!

http://www.cafepress.com/maryzcoxbanjo

New Florida Banjo T's in several colors, styles and many sizes available at the link above.

Florida Banjo CD now available at:
http://www.maryzcox.com

Willfest this weekend!

Willfest begins this coming Friday evening!

Here's the link to the festival.

http://www.willmclean.com/festival/index.shtml

Bob and I will be playing at noon and at 5PM on Saturday, and I'll be giving a dulcimer workshop on Sunday at noon. Our new CD, Florida Banjo, is supposed to arrive tomorrow--so we will have it at Willfest with us! This is a really fun festival with lots of workshops, stages, and picking everywhere.

Florida Banjo preview

Ponce de Leon soundtrack

John Bowlin's Groundhog Strut

New Fretless banjo!

Here it is (cell phone photo). Boy--is this a beauty! The tone is awesome, but what I like best is the neck. The surface is smooth and slick and the neck fits my hands and fingers perfectly. When I put my fingers down on a chord, they are right there--even without frets. :) Now I understand why John asks for a tracing of your left hand before making a banjo.
John Bowlin is a delightful banjo builder too. This is a keeper!

New imix of old time string band music!

Florida Banjo coming soon!

video of new Recording King banjo

New banjo!

 
Just got this new Ne Plus Ultra--open back clawhammer banjo from Recording King.
I've been playing it all evening and it sure sounds sweet!

Bet you need a new banjo too! Mary Z. Cox

Sally Ann on clawhammer banjo

 

2008 banjo, dulcimer and family news!

Hello and a very Happy New year!
2008 will be a very exciting year at the Cox house.

We are particularly thrilled that we will be returning to California this year, Albuquerque
New Mexico, and the John C. Campbell School in North Carolina. :)
Here is a quick list of where we will be this year.
http://www.maryzcox.com/calendar.html

Please check it from time to time if you live in California, New Mexico,
Florida or North Carolina for more details as they are added. There will
be a banjo workshop at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena and I'll
put it up as soon as we get the final details. Details for New Mexico for
a concert and workshops will be up soon too.

Registration has started for our "Be a Star, Play Banjo" week long
workshop at the John C. Campbell School in June/July.
http://www.folkschool.org/index.php?section=class_detail&class_id=2100

We had a marvelous time last year with all the wonderful banjoists who
came. If you are a returning student from last year or the year
before--please email me and let me know that you are coming--I will make
sure that we cover some new tunes to practice technique. :)
If you are thinking of coming this year--please sign up soon--this is a
wonderful place--relaxing and fun and the food is great!

Bob and I have been mixing and editing our new CD and it is with local
bassist, Jim Crozier, right now for a few bass parts. (He sounds wonderful
with banjo!) As soon as it returns, it will be off for mastering! We are
hoping to have it in time for the Cracker Coffee House in February or
Willfest in April. :)

FAMILY NEWS:
Arcy (Robert Sidney Cox III) our oldest son, is graduating from Cal Tech
with his Doctorate. (He's a biogenetic engineer)The ceremony is June 13,
2008 and we plan to be there shouting and whooping our congratulations!

Natalie continues with her busy life of full time student,(art at FSU)
part time stylist, and she is on the FSU dance force. She'll be on the FSU
Florence program in May and part of June and has been taking Italian this
year too. I've even heard her sing in Italian. :)

Gordon remains busy in New York City. He will be flying to North Carolina
in August to join Bob and I for a guitar camp in the mountains. :)

Bob turned 60 this year and his Mom had her 90th birthday too! He loves
his research position at OPPAGA, and he continues to come up with new and
exciting foods and beverages in the kitchen. He bought a 2001 Kawasaki
Vulcan Classic 1500 this year, so after several years of not owning a
bike, we are back to cruising the back roads of North Florida and South
Georgia again. :)

My good news! I am retiring from my school job on June 3rd. I have plans
for instructional DVDs in banjo and mountain dulcimer and will finally
have the time to start and finish them! :) We also have the next two CDs
on the planning board as well as some tab books. This is going to be a fun
year. :)

Hope everyone is healthy and happy at your home and hope we get to see you
this year!

Best wishes and love,
Mary Z. & Bob Cox
Jezebel too!
www.maryzcox.com
web page
www.secretbanjo.blogspot.com
a secret life of banjo blog :)

John Hartford Banjo & Merry Christmas from Mary Z. & Bob Cox

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Charleston, SC/Banjo and dulcimer!

Hello,
Bob and I will be visiting Charleston on Saturday, December 8 and will
give a small concert Saturday evening at the Hungry Monk music store.

I'll also be giving clawhammer banjo and mountain dulcimer workshops
during the day on Saturday. :)

If you live anywhere near Charleston, please consider joining us for the
day--it will be lots of fun and a chance to learn a few new tunes and
technique on banjo and dulcimer.
Here are the workshop descriptions:

Old Time Banjo Workshop - 9 to 11am - $40
Creeping up the Banjo Neck (Intermediate)
Begin to play tunes up the neck in Double C or Double D tuning. Get your
fingers used to creeping past the 5th fret without music theory or stress!
We’ll use this technique to learn Sally Ann, John Stinson’s #2 and
Angeline. Come tuned in gCGCD. Add sparkle to your playing while having
lots of fun.

Mountain Dulcimer Workshop - 1 to 3pm - $40
Mountain Dulcimer Favorites/String Band Style (Intermediate)
Learn North Alabama fiddle tune, ‘Step Around Johnny" in an easy string
band style with fun variations. Mary Z. won first place in two
competitions in 2006 and one in 2007 playing this tune –and you can learn
to play it too! We’ll also experiment with "Julie Ann Johnson" and
"Angeline". Please come tuned in DAD.

The concert is at 8PM and tickets are $15 advance or at the door.
To pre register and find out more:
http://www.hungrymonkmusic.com
843-571-3857 John Holenko
Bob and I will be staying with Glenn Fleming and his lovely wife--so if
you are a friend of Glenn, you may contact him for tickets too.

This is the first time we have visited Charleston near Christmas and we
bet it will be just beautiful this time of year. Even if you live out of
town-this would be a nice weekend to come and stay at a bed and breakfast
or camp and see the sights in historic Charleston. There are excellent
restuarants and shopping to keep any spouse happy while you are in class.
[:D]
www.maryzcox.com
webpage
www.secretbanjo.blogspot.com
a secret life of banjo blog :)

Banjo Dreamin' Suwannee Nights with Fall Quilt Show

Banjo Dreamin' Suwannee Nights with Fall Quilt Show
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center
P.O. Drawer G
White Springs, FL 32906
386-397-1920

http://www.floridastateparks.org/stephenfoster/default.cfm
Come join the fun! View the quilts and hear the clawhammer banjo, guitar and mountain dulcimer music of Mary Z. & Bob Cox at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center on the historic Suwannee River, October 20th along with the
RIVER QUILT SHOW AND SALE
Date: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20. 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 21.
Description:
SUWANNEE RIVER QUILT SHOW AND SALE
"Quilting on the Suwannee-Past, Present and Future"

SS Stewart Banjo

An American Princess is coming!
Bernunzios is selling the SS Stewart Tsumura collection. I was not in the market for a new banjo, but could not resist ordering at least one small banjo from this collection of vintage banjos that has been so long in a Japanese vault. :)

Give me a 10 for Best Summer Slideshow

Give me a 10 for Best Summer Slideshow

Check out my Slide Show!

Clawhammer Banjo Youtube video