Event Details:

Roots and Resonance with Danny Boy Phelan: A century of influence from Guitar, Banjo, and Harmonica

Danny Boy Phelan is a passionate multi-instrumentalist and "gentleman of the stage" known for his deep commitment to the golden era of American roots music. Raised in St. Catharines, Ontario. Lived on the road travelling North America by freight train in his teens; he embodies the train hopping blues man persona. He is recognized for his mastery of six different instruments. His performances are a journey through the 1920s to the 1970s, specializing in Delta Blues, Electric Blues, Bluegrass and Gospel. His authentic sound is deeply influenced by his personal hardships and the working class conditions that have shaped his world view. Workshop Description c: A century of influence from Guitar, Banjo, and Harmonica. Danny Boy Phelans Blues workshop traces how three everyday instruments have shaped the soundscape of the blues over the last hundred years. Through live demonstrations and spoken history participants will hear how different guitar techniques transformed the blues over time; how the banjo’s bright twang and various picking styles anchored rural blues and early string bands; and how the harmonica emerged as a portable, vocal-like force driving urban blues and improvisation. We will map stylistic shifts across eras, explore how recording technology and social change accelerated these influences, and connect these threads to later developments in jazz, folk, and rock.