i've been a fan of Bill Vanaver for a long time, since I saw him at the Fox Hollow Folk Festivals in the early 70's. He has recorded very little in clawhammer style but is extremely talented. What I especially appreciate is his use of unusual rhythms. They seem to be inspired by his visit to the Macedonia back then. Many of you may have heard his version of Paddy on the Turnpike in the classic Old Time Banjo Project LP. It has some similarities with John Burke's version in his book of tabs (which even references the OTBP recording). However, while Burke makes great use of hammer-ons, Vanaver uses lots of triplets. I would be glad to post the OTBP recording, if I could figure out how to do it. I also have a field recording of the tune from the campground of the Fox Hollow Festival (on reel-to-reel tape), where Vanaver does more improvisation using complex rhythms. I wonder if anybody has ever tabbed Vanaver's OTBP version. i've been trying to master his use of triplets, but I must admit that I am somewhat baffled.
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