Just Trying to Break Even

Banana began his career in bluegrass on the east coast in Boston with 'Banana and the Bunch, Old Time Music with Appeal'. After several years in the east coast folk scene, he formed The Youngbloods with Joe Bauer, Jesse Colin Young, and Jerry Corbitt. The band moved from New York City to West Marin in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1967. Along with co-producing The Youngbloods records with Joe Bauer and many others on his own, he produced the first two High Country albums for Butch Waller in the early 1970's on Warner Brothers Records. This introduced California Bluegrass to a nationwide audience. He was accompanist to Mimi Fariña for over twenty years, played keyboards and sang lead with Zero for over 10 years, played with Norton Buffalo, Steve Kimock and Friends and currently on a fairly regular basis, plays blues with The Michael Barclay Blues Band and old time psychedelic rock with The Barry 'The Fish' Melton band. He has done duo gigs with David Nelson, Keith Little, David Thom, Paul Knight, and others. And he plays the beloved bluegrass music with friends and neighbors including The Papermill Creek Rounders, David, Tracy and Sam Grisman, The David Thom Band, and the legendary Artie Rose and associates. 'Just Trying To Break Even' is full of the tunes that the audiences all over seem to love, both here and abroad. Mimi Fariña fans will be pleased to hear her song 'Old Woman' done by her old accompanist. 'A Voice On The Wind' is written by another old friend, HighCountry's Butch Waller. And speaking of old friends, David Grisman sits in on mandolin on the first and last tunes of the album. Be sure and check out Grandpa Banana's previous 2009 release 'I'll Do Anything For You' - available right here and keep an eye out for the upcoming Grandpa Banana CD 'Even Grandpas Get The Blues' to be released early this fall.