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Arts & Entertainment

Jazz Banjo Festival Aims for Youth Revival

'A mix of abilities, instruments and just having fun' at the third annual festival in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord.

Walnut Creek native Jack Convery started playing the banjo at age 12 and has made music all his life since. In addition to working as band director for the 49ers in the late '80s, his resume includes working with music greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson and Bing Crosby.

In 2009, Convery started the Summer Jazz Banjo Festival in the hope of interesting kids in the instrument.

“The banjo is America’s instrument and is dying — as you can see, all the people here are senior citizens or older,” said Convery. “We gotta get it going with the younger generation, so I’m trying to inspire young people, that it is really fun and it is part of their heritage.”

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About 500 people attended the third annual Summer Jazz Banjo Festival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord on Saturday and Sunday. The East Bay Banjo Club hosts the event.

“We’ve tripled in size in the last two years since we started it,” Convery said.

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The banjo festival is broken up into two days. People who attended Saturday paid $45, which included jamming sessions, workshops and a banquet.

June Rosploch, president of the East Bay Banjo Club, has been involved with the group since 1987.

“Our first day is geared strictly for the players from any group, doesn’t have to be banjo players — any musicians that would like to come because we have jamming [sessions] open,” she said.

The first day of the festival is also open to people in the community because of its informality, according to Rosploch.

“It’s not lead players playing and everybody listening, like our solo acts,” she said. “This is a mix of instruments, abilities and just having fun.” 

The second day’s entrance was $20 and featured 11 bands. Banjo hall of famers Fred “Mickey” Finn and Cathy Reilly were featured performers.

About 500 people filled the Main Ballroom of the hotel, tapping their feet to the seemingly never-ending music that started at 11 a.m.

Some bands were diverse in age, others had many members, while others consisted of three or four people. But they all showcased their players' passion for banjo jazz and made it clear they were thrilled to be at the festival.

Among the sets featuring players of various ages was a performance by the East Bay Banjo Club in which a 6-year-old named Marco sang and played the banjo.

Marco started playing two years ago after attending the festival.

“It really sounded nice,” he said. “So I really wanted to learn how to play it.”

Sacramento native Paul Doerner, 22, has been playing the banjo since he was 13. He chose to play the banjo after stumbling on an ad for free lessons and deciding to use an instrument he already had rather than having to buy one.

People are surprised when they hear Doerner playing the banjo since it is not the most popular instrument.

“I just love the fact that people are surprised because not that many people play it. So when you say you play it they go, 'Wow,' ” he said. “There is kind of a surprise factor.”

Proceeds from the festival will be used to support the club. Money also will go toward charities and to support a youth music scholarship program.

For anyone interested in learning how to play the banjo or simply hearing jazz banjo music, the East Bay Banjo Club meets every Wednesday night at Round Table Pizza on Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill. You can visit the club’s website at www.eastbaybanjo.org

“Come on down, have some pizza and learn how to play and, if you like it, keep playing it,” Convery said.

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