Mike IversonMusic, clawhammer banjo, and more...

Music, clawhammer banjo, and more...

Mike's Link List

Clawhammer Banjo

Ome Banjos - I've been very impressed with Ome banjos over the years and am especially excited about their new line of open-backs...

Gold Tone Banjos - The best resource for affordable banjos. I know from first hand experience that this company is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve the banjo community.

Bart Reiter Banjos - I have been playing a Bart Reiter banjo for over twenty years! Our live CD was recorded using one of Bart's banjos.

Deering Banjos - I play (and love) my Deering/Vega Longneck banjo; it's my "G" banjo...

Chuck Lee Banjos - The craftsmanship and feel of the best nineteenth century banjos in a modern instrument!

Snuffy Smith Bridges - The banjo bridges I use on my own instruments.

The Banjo Hangout - I can't say enough about the Banjo Hangout; it provides a home for the banjo community.

Intermountain Guitar & Banjo - An amazing source for both new and used instruments. Leo's vintage banjo restorations are the best I've ever seen.

Acoustic Music - Utah's favorite source for instruments, supplies, lessons, and music.

Kavanjo Banjo Pickup - Innovative system for amplifying the banjo.

Black Banjo List - An ongoing email discussion group exploring the African American origin of the banjo.

Other Sites Of Interest

Chordie.com - This unique website allows you to find lyrics with chords, and then transpose the keys before printing.

Nowland Guitars - One of Utah's finest builder of custom guitars.

The Mudcat Cafe - A great place to discuss and discover folk songs.

Intermountain Acoustic Music Association - Utah's folk & bluegrass organization.

Band In A Box - Amazing practice software for those wishing to improve their technique.

KRCL - The only station in Utah that plays bluegrass, folk & western music.

Steve Johnson - Steve is the extraordinary artist who painted our album cover and is responsible for the sketches on this site. We are proud to count Steve and his family amongst our friends!

Utah Contra Dance Information Page - your guide to the contra dances (barn dances) held in our area.

Trax Audio - Contact Matt & Jeremy for PA equipment, repairs, rentals, sound jobs, and some of the biggest video screens available for rent in the U.S.!

Overture - Music and tablature notation software that I use for all my banjo tabs...

Favorite Artists

Clawhammer Banjoists

Michael J. Miles - Amazing clawhammer player who can hold his own against anyone! A brilliant composer and arranger...

Ken Perlman - Clawhammer player, author and teacher. His books should be in every banjo players personal library. Highly recommended!

Mark Johnson - Playing his unique style of clawhammer banjo in a bluegrass setting - clawgrass!

Art Rosenbaum - Art's playing (and singing) gets right to the heart of what American folk song is all about. A prime influence on my style of play.

John Balch - Another forward looking clawhammer player and composer. Check out his original banjo compositions in my 'Progressive Clawhammer' section.

Other Favorite Artists

Doc Watson - A hero of mine, and the single greatest influence on my music. Doc should be declared a national treasure...

Norman Blake - It's rare to find a song writer so in touch with America's traditional music. Some of my all time favorite songs have been penned by Blake.

Bela Fleck - My personal muse! His impressive technical skill may blind us to the fact that Bela may very well be one of the best composers to come out of the last century. His work should be required listening for every serious musician.

David Grisman - With the release of his first "Quintet" album, David redefined our notions of what could be done in an ensemble comprized of "bluegrass" instruments.

Tony Rice - Mark Johnson once asked me how I developed my approach to the banjo, I told him it came from trying to emulate Tony's flat-pick guitar style...

Gordon Lightfoot - What more can I say about Gordon other than he's my all time favorite song writer.

Good Friends, Great Artists...

Matt Flinner - I think Matt's 'View From Here' CD is the best mandolin project since the first two David Grisman LPs. Listening to Matt has taught me a lot about valuing taste over technique...

Austin Weyand - Extraordinary finger-style guitarist and composer. Anyone living in northern Utah who is interested in advanced guitar instruction should consider contacting him.

Kate Macleod - Possible the most talented musician I know. A great songwriter, singer, fiddler, and guitarist...

Brenn Hill - The best writer of contemporary western songs I've yet heard.

Sourdough Slim - My favorite cowboy singer! Well, at least my favorite next to Glen Ohrlin (sorry Slim).

Horse Sense - Justin Bishop and Nancy Bray are back in a new incarnation of this duo! If you like Blue Sage, you'll love Justin's music; he was the inspiration behind our own approach to western folk music.

Ken Sager - Ken is a close friend and an amazing multi-instrumentalist who often plays with Blue Sage. Ken teaches lessons on mandolin, dobro, & guitar in the Salt Lake Area. He also has a great instrumental CD available through his website...