Banjo Player Jayme Stone Brings Wonder to Encino

Fans of Banjoist Jayme Stone will be pleased to know that the performer is bringing his "Room of Wonders" tour to Encino. Stone and his quartet will be playing at the California Traditional Music Society's Center for Folk Music on March 4. His latest album, Room of Wonders, was nominated for a Juno and he was the recipient of the 2011 Canadian Folk Award for Best Instrumentalist.

Stone will be touring with three other musicians, who make up his quartet: Sandra Wong on the nyckelharpa, a Swedish keyed fiddle; Andrew Small, a classically-trained bassist who has played with Symphony Augusta; and Nick Fraser, a drummer and composer from Toronto.

Patch caught up with Stone for a quick Q&A about his upcoming gig in Encino.

Tell us about your tour: What's the route, and how does Encino fit in?

We're playing 17 shows from San Diego to Chico! I've played in LA and Pasadena but not Encino.

Room of Wonders was nominated for a Juno and won a 2011 Canadian Folk Award. Can you talk a little about how it feels to receive these honors?

I'm making music I'm passionate about and realize that it's artsy and left-of-center. It's quite wonderful to have them lauded with these awards. It allows us to play more widely and convince people to take a risk in hearing something they never have before.

When did you first pick up a banjo? How did your career as a professional banjo player start and develop to reach the point you're at now?

I first heard the banjo when I was 16. I'd just begun to get serious about playing guitar and the sound of the banjo turned my life upside-down. The quirky physics of the instrument and the fact that there was so much unexplored music was really appealing. My career evolved out of trying to create a context for the music I wanted to hear in the world. I work hard, do my research, try to further my craft and keep discovering new ways to translate that into a livelihood. 

Can you describe your musical style? What are your influences?

I try to keep an ear to ground and have always listened to a lot of different music. Every style of music has its priorities. I love the interaction and improvisational spirit in jazz, the grit and directness of folk music, the specificity and attention to detail in chamber music. Each country, continent and century has unique qualities and I'm always trying to learn and integrate new ideas.

What projects do you have coming up after your tour?

I'm touring steadily with an ever-evolving ensemble. We're debuting some brand new tunes on this tour that I expect will turn up my next album which I'll begin work on later this year. I'm also planning to make a Bach record in the distant-but-coming-into-focus future.

Jayme Stone at the CTMS Center for Folk Music, 16953 Ventura Boulevard. Tel: 818-817-7756, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets and for further information, click here to visit the CTMS Center for Folk Music's ticketing website.