Iowa City’s own banjo guru, Jon Eric, stopped by Little Village Live Wednesday to talk music and give us a few samples off his new album, “That Was Then, This is Now”.
Jon carries a certain authenticity when discussing his craft, and it’s hard to miss the genuine enthusiasm that comes across as he plucks the strings, not to mention his regular grins. The following video is as good an example of this as any, and a great example of the ties that bind bluegrass music to classic Celtic melodies.
Jon runs down a short list of his nicknames and talks a bit about the local music scene in Iowa City with LV Live hosts Paul Sorenson and Matt Steele in the following video. Having moved to Iowa City only a few years ago, he spends his time giving music lessons when he’s not out performing, as well as lending some time to entertain those making use of the Iowa City Free Lunch Program.
Jon also discussed the banjo’s similarities, both in style and difficulty, to the acoustic guitar. He trades off between acoustic guitar and banjo to demonstrate just how congruous the instruments can be in this next clip.
In our final video, Jon takes us out with a song on his electric banjo.
If you’re itching for more banjo love, you can catch the Banjo Ninja on April 20 at The Blue Moose Tap House, where he’ll be opening for Dead Larry and Insectoid.
