Sunday, May 5, 5-6:30 PM: Banjo Benny Bleu, with Local Cellist Gabe Schliffer Free…Donations greatly appreciated

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Bio

“New York-native, Benny Bleu is a geologist by trade, banjo player and singer-songwriter who touches on our connections with the natural world and each other.” – Putumayo World Music

Benny Bleu Haravitch plays old time banjo in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York, perched at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains. Haravitch, a geologist himself, grew up in the region defined by deep lake valleys and steep highlands. This up-and-down is reflected in the local flavor of fiddle tunes, and Benny Bleu’s banjo sways along having studied and played with regional old-time visionaries Mac Benford, Richie Stearns, Judy Hyman, and Bruce Molsky. His clawhammer banjo playing is like a marching band – the bugle melodies in lock-step with the drum corps. On March of the Mollusk, a new album of meditative banjo tunes, Haravitch holds true to the local tradition and offers a collection of grooves soothing in their dance-like delivery. He invites us to walk with the cadence of a snail through the woods. For only by softening our pace could we hope to answer the conundrum of modern existence together.

National Amtrak Tour – just Benny and a Banjo! – in Spring 2024! Visiting Denver CO, Santa Cruz CA, Eugene OR, Portland OR, Twin Cities MN, Chicago IL, Morgantown WV, Frostburg MD, and Millheim PA

New albums Banjo Jubilations and Banjo Meditations coming Spring 2024!

Selected Previous Press

“Benny Bleu rocks!” — Bruce Molsky

“clawhammer banjo zen session… straight up hypnotic”

“With a somber and introspective tone, the music carries a quiet poignancy that recalls the straight-forward folk ballads of Dave Van Ronk.”

“soft and swaying, breezy, country folk lullabies that blend traditional and contemporary folk feels”

Achievements

‘Serenity Song’ is released as an official Putumayo Single – September 2023

March of the Mollusk reached #12 in the FAI Folk Radio charts for March 2023

‘Lost Goose’ was featured on Putumayo‘s New Folk playlist

4th place finalist in the 2022 Online Old Time Banjo Contest judged by Adam Hurt, Cathy Fink, and Rachel Eddy

1st place in the 2019 Oldtone Banjo Contest and the 2015 Grassroots Banjo Contest

2nd place in the 2018 Northeast Fiddlers Convention Banjo Contest

2017 Greyfox Bluegrass Festival Emerging Artist with The Brothers Blue