Bob Carlin is probably the best known clawhammer style banjoist performing today. Faithful to timeless Southern Traditions, he has taken the distinctive southern banjo style to appreciative audiences all over the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan. As a solo performer, and a member of John Hartford's Stringband, Bob has appeared at countless festivals, clubs, schools, and museums. Carlin is a three-time winner of the Frets Magazine reader's poll and has four Rounder albums to his credit. Bob Carlin has studied both in person and on transcriptions the work of master players from previous generations. Along with researching several books and countless articles, this has made Carlin one of the foremost experts on the history of the banjo and its playing styles. Bob has authored several instruction manuals and six DVDs on how to play clawhammer banjo. This has all combined to make Bob Carlin one of the most in-demand teachers at camps, workshops, and festivals.
Dan Levenson is a Southern Appalachian native who has grown up with the music of that region. Today he is considered a respected master teacher and performer of both the Clawhammer banjo & Appalachian style fiddle. Banjo Newsletter's R.D. Lunceford describes Dan "as an interpreter, rather than a music re-creator". Fiddler Magazine's Bob Buckingham described him as "an accomplished fiddler and ...one of the best clawhammer banjo players in the country." Ken Perlman has called him "The Johnny Appleseed of the Banjo".
Dan has won awards on both instruments including a 2017 Master Artist Award from Arizona's Southwest Folklife Alliance, first place at the 2005 Ohio Clawhammer Banjo Championship and Grand Champion at the 2010 Ajo, AZ Fiddle Contest. He's made numerous recordings both as a solo artist and with his bands.
Dan performs and teaches regularly throughout the world. In addition to the US Dan has performed and taught fiddle, clawhammer and stringband workshops in England, Ireland, Israel and Brazil and many music schools and camps including in the John C. Campbell Folk School, Mars Hill, Maryland Banjo Academy, The Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View, AR, Banjo Camp North, The Rolland Fiddle Camp and Dan's own Clawcamp instructional weekends at various locations throughout the country.