KIRK SUTPHIN
Walkertown, North Carolina
Old Time Fiddle and Banjo
A master old-time fiddler and banjoist, Kirk Sutphin performs the Round Peak style long identified with the Galax, Virginia/Mt. Airy, North Carolina area on the Virginia-North Carolina border. Thousands of other musicians perform in this pre-bluegrass style, but Kirk differs in the razor edge of quality he brings to his performance. His music comes from within the tradition: his grandfather, a fiddler and banjoist, was from Round Peak, and, as a young boy, Kirk was the protégé of the famous Surry County fiddler, Tommy Jarrell.
Kirk is a master of the pure Round Peak style on both fiddle and clawhammer banjo. The banjo style of this area is highly developed, and Kirk's smooth and seemingly effortless technique is especially evident when he plays the fretless banjo. He also has a rich knowledge of other historic banjo styles from the Blue Ridge and Piedmont.
Links
http://www.old97wrecords.com/kirksutphin/about.html
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