Announcements

New Ken Perlman Channel Now on Youtube

I've just recently launched the Ken Perlman YouTube Channel featuring videos of my performances and some banjo instruction, too. The channel features recently made videos, of course, but I've also "harvested" a few dozen videos from years past that other folks have previously posted on YouTube. I even managed to find maybe a couple of dozen videos featuring the late great Appalachian style fiddler Alan Jabbour and me in concert. Continue reading →

Now Offering Online Banjo Clinics

Ken now offers online banjo clinics. Here are the next two (click on the links to learn more)

Saturday, April 10, 2021. 5:00-6:30 Pm Eastern Beyond the “Galax Lick”: the Arpeggio Technique in Clawhammer. Sponsored by American Banjo Camp. Click for Information or to register.
Monday, April 26, 2021. 7:30-9:00 PM Eastern. Some Great Modal Tunes from West Virginia Fiddler Henry Reed
Monday, May 10, 2021. 7:30-9:00 PM Eastern. Classic Bluegrass Fiddle Tunes, Played Note-for Note in Clawhammer Style.

Continue reading →

Ken’s Newest Banjo Instruction Book Just Published!!

Ken's newest tab/instruction book, Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo, has just been published by Mel Bay Publications. Ken draws on several decades of experience as a player and arranger to create authentic note-for-note settings for over 100 exquisite tunes. Click here for book details, complete tune list, and to order a copy. Continue reading →

New Students Welcome!!

If you're looking to expand your clawhammer skills during this pandemic, I'm happy to take on a few new students. For details contact me at ken@kenperlman.com and we'll go from there. Continue reading →

Concerto for Banjo & Orchestra Now Available on CD

KPconcerto2014

Ken reprised his performance of “Concerto for Banjo and Orchestra” by Harold Schiffman in January 2016 with the North/South Chamber Orchestra under conductor Max Lifchitz in Manhattan. The entire ensemble went into the studio soon afterwards and the entire three movements appears as the first three tracks on the CD… Continue reading →

Alan Jabbour’s Legacy Celebrated at the Library of Congress

The life and musical legacy of renowned Appalachian-style fiddler and folklorist Alan Jabbour (1942-2017) was celebrated at the Library of Congress on Thursday, January 18, 2018. The event featured a reception, brief presentations that featured Alan’s accomplishments and legacy by Carl Fleishhauer, Stephen Wade, and me, followed by a jam… Continue reading →

Latest News on the East Tennessee Banjo Academy

Plans for the East Tennessee Banjo Academy have unfortunately been suspended indefinitely (too many events in the region with a similar focus).

Ken Interviewed by Paul Brown on his Across the Blue Ridge Radio Show

Ken was interviewed in May 2018 by renowned banjoist/fiddler and radio personality Paul Brown on his show Across the Blue Ridge. Ken talks about his new recording “Frails & Frolics,” his folklore work on Prince Edward Island Fiddling, and the close relationship between the fiddling traditions of Canadian Maritimes and… Continue reading →

Ken’s Newest Solo CD, Frails & Frolics

Frails & Frolics includes over 45 tunes, most of them collected by Ken from traditional fiddlers on Prince Edward Island, arranged on banjo to reflect all their authentic flavor and nuance, and organized into sets (medleys). There are reel sets, jig sets, and “Scottish sets” creating a musical tapestry by… Continue reading →