Ken Perlman - Clawhammer Banjo and Fingerstyle Guitar Solos

The first half of Clawhammer Banjo and Fingerstyle Guitar features Ken Perlman playing banjo in the clawhammer style he is known for and helped develop. In the second half of the album, Perlman demonstrates his considerable skill as a melodic guitar player, taking inspiration from Irish harp tunes, including some that are several hundred years old. Many of these songs are dance tunes, but as Perlman explains in the accompanying liner notes, "When played for listening (as opposed to dancing) on five-string banjo and guitar, they take on a new character-they lose a little drive and rhythmic punch, but the melodies shine out as the exquisite gems they are. "