Mississippi native Anthony Howell has been steadily making a name for himself serving as an instrumentalist alongside some of the bluegrass industry’s elite talent. While he can primarily be seen these days as a member of Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, his latest solo effort, Banjo Aficionado, places his sterling abilities on the five string and other instruments on full display.
This album is a combination of Anthony’s original compositions as well as his interpretations of tunes from various sources. The opening track, End of the Line, falls into the original category and features Howell on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass along with his Midnight Run bandmate, David Mansfield III, on fiddle.
Ground Speed on the other hand is an Earl Scruggs classic that shows Howell’s ability to improvise and stretch out within a traditional framework. Along with Anthony on banjo and bass, he is accompanied by Adam Haynes on fiddle, Nick Chandler on mandolin, and Trey Hensley on guitar.
There’s also a few examples of Anthony’s wide musical scope such as Changing Seasons, an original piece with a clear nod towards Irish & Celtic music. Jillian Lea Solivan brings an authentic feel to this tune through her pennywhistle accompaniment. Sweet Magnolia has a strong country flavor, which is especially punctuated by Craig Fletcher’s steel guitar.
But perhaps the most intriguing example to be found here is Puff the Magic Dragon. First recorded and released by the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary in 1963, Howell takes this simple tune and converts it to a nice upbeat bluegrass instrumental with some nods to the original rendition at both the beginning and end of the tune.
As evidenced on this recording, Anthony Howell is a multi-talented instrumentalist and composer. While it would be accurate to refer to him and this album as Banjo Aficionado, you’ll quickly realize there’s so many layers and adjectives to describe his rare and unique prowess.
