Tom Hanway

Tom Hanway was born on August 20, 1961 in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in Larchmont, Westchester County, New York. He is an American 5-string banjoist, composer, author, and an originator of "Celtic fingerstyle" banjo. In 1998, he and luthier [http://www.stellingbanjo.com Geoff Stelling] co-designed the [http://www.stellingbanjo.com/html/swallowtail2.htm Stelling Tom Hanway SwallowTail] banjo, available in both standard and deluxe models, used in bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music around the world.

Influences and early career

Tom Hanway learned to play the banjo in the 1980s, studying with Tony Trischka and Bill Keith, being inspired by their music and the music of Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Don Reno, Béla Fleck, David Bromberg, Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and Vassar Clements. In the late 80s and early 90s he worked with the John Herald Band (formerly the Greenbriar Boys), Blue Horizon, Burnt Toast, and with Kenny Kosek in the off-Broadway bluegrass musical "Feast Here Tonight". Hanway has played on dozens of recordings on both sides of the Atlantic, and has produced three recordings on his Joyous Gard Records label; for "Bucket of Bees", he teamed up with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, David Grier, Tony Trischka, Bill Keith and Vassar Clements in Nashville and New York City . He has performed onstage with Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements, Rick Danko and Levon Helm. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he and Kathleen Low Hanway (1960-2002) organized the St. Mark’s Bluegrass Festival and the [http://www.tomhanway.com/babsindex.htm Big Apple Bluegrass & Folk Festival] in New York City. In 2005, he won the [http://www.ebma.org European Bluegrass Music Association] 's 'European Bluegrass Band of the Year' award as a member of the Bluegrass Ravens.

Irish and Celtic music

In 1998, Mel Bay Publications published Hanway’s seminal book and CD, [http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=95759BCD&Heading=Banjo%3A+5%2DString&category=B09%2C+B10%2C+B11%2C+B12&catID=16&head1=&head2=Banjo&sub=1&sub1=&mode=browse" Complete Book of Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo"] . "Bluegrass Unlimited" wrote in January 1999: "What Earl Scruggs' book did for bluegrass banjo, Tom Hanway's book may well do for the 5-string in Irish and Celtic music, and will certainly become regarded as 'the bible' for any 5-string player with an interest in this joyous music." Hanway is a music journalist and contributing writer to the Celtic League, American Branch, [http://www.tomhanway.com/celtmusc.htm "Perspective and Meaning in Celtic Music"] . He is a member of the [http://www.dublinarts.com United Arts Club] in Dublin, promoting traditional music concerts, including Irish, bluegrass and folk music. He now calls Ireland home.

Discography

*"Bucket of Bees" (Joyous Gard, 1991)
*"Tom Hanway & Blue Horizon" (Joyous Gard, 1992)
*"Burnt Toast" (Joyous Gard, 1996)
*"Complete Book of Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo" (Mel Bay, 1998) - companion CD to [http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=95759BCD&Heading=Banjo%3A+5%2DString&category=B09%2C+B10%2C+B11%2C+B12&catID=16&head1=&head2=Banjo&sub=1&sub1=&mode=browse" Complete Book of Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo"]
*"Grillbillies Album, Volumes 1 and 2" (Yee Haw, 1999)
*"The Badbelly Project: Hesitation Blues" (Joyous Gard, 2005)

External links

* [http://www.tomhanway.com Tom Hanway's Official Website]
* [http://dmoz.org/profiles/tomhanway.html Profile: Tom Hanway]
* [http://www.waynerice.com/bgbios/bgbiosh.htm Biography of Tom Hanway]
* [http://www.celticleague.org/celtic-music.html Celtic League, American Branch: Celtic Music Overview ]