D-Squared

On Saturday, April 5, at 7 PM, Big Bug Station in historic downtown Mayer presents “April’s Fools - A Night of Banjos,” featuring old-time banjo players Bill Burke and Fred Coon in concert with local artists D-Squared. Burke and Coon are masters of old-time frailing and clawhammer styles on the five-string banjo, while Don Charles of D-Squared offers a unique approach to the tenor banjo with partner Deb Gessner accompanying on folk harp and concertina.

Fred Coon learned the banjo growing up in the mountains of West Virginia. His father played a two finger style that Fred adapted as well as a frailing style prevalent in the local ‘hollers.’ He picked up techniques from Wade Ward, Franklin George, Aunt Jenny Wilson, Mike Seeger and others while making extensive field recordings of banjo players. He has played with many of the greats in folk music including Doc Watson and David Holt and currently resides in Phoenix.

Bill Burke has been a fixture in the Flagstaff music scene for decades as a guitar, banjo, and mandolin player. He has appeared on stage with Jay Ungar, John Cohen, and the New Lost City Ramblers and toured for many years with Rick and Lorraine Lee. Burke makes his living as a woodworker and luthier and plays his own beautifully crafted instruments on stage. His fine furniture is on permanent display at both the Henry Moore Trust and the American Craft Museum.

While D-Squared is best known as a harp and guitar act, they have long incorporated the tenor banjo into their intriguing sound as well. Charles credits his banjo style to “trying to sound like an old-timey player with one string missing.” They have promised a set of original banjo hits and a few you haven’t heard.

If you like banjos, this is a concert you won’t want to miss. The suggested donation is $10 with refreshments provided. Big Bug Station is located in the Old Mayer Mercantile Building at the stop sign on Central, catty-corner from the Mayer post office. Call (928) 632-4177 for information or visit bigbugstation.com.

D-Squared will be playing “Live at the Library” at the Glendale Public Library, 5959 W. Brown in Glendale on Thursday, March 20, 7 PM. The show is free! We know it’s a school night, but we promise to have you out of there by 8:30.

It’s one of our favorite venues to play and we look forward to seeing your shining faces there……….

 

 Welcome to the Big Bug Station: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (146)

This is a brief glimpse inside our favorite hang-out/venue/clubhouse, Big Bug Station…….Yavapai County’s Favorite Living Room! Come meet Mike Connors, proprietor, and take a gander at the old dance hall where we often perform. The stage is located under the “1902″ sign. The acoustics are scrumptious, the ambiance inviting and the company can’t be beat. This has become a gathering place for locals, a stop along the way to or from Prescott and Phoenix and a place to learn Tai Chi! Whodathunk it in our little town????

 

 Bill's Surprise Birthday Party: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (86)

Bill Meldrum is the fabulous percussionist that accompanies most of our music, most notably on our “Big Sky Full O’ Dumb Stars” CD. His highly unpredictable, quirky rhythmic line on the “Juggling Feathers” track is my (Deb’s) most favorite part of the CD. I absolutely gasped with delight and laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair when I first heard it.

We love it when Bill can join us on stage, which doesn’t happen enough as far as we’re concerned.

So, Bill’s 40th birthday was on March 14th. All his friends met him with (what seemed like) gallons of Silly String, while his wife, Tracy, trumpeted him through the door. A fun night.