Introducing The Canal Street String Band

Formed in Buffalo NY in the summer of 2010, The Canal Street String Band have quickly taken each other's refrigerators by storm, working tirelessly to put a brand-new shine on some seriously fun old American music. Fiddle tunes....sea shanties....cowboy songs....canal ditties....mountain music....western swing.....and originals too, with banjo, fiddle, twin mandolins, dobro, string bass, guitar, octave mandolin and three-part harmonies. Stellar musicianship combines with an undeniable sense of adventure and plenty of hokum to produce an irresistibly good time. The audience has fun too. Phil Banaszak plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar, and sings. A New York State fiddle champion and member of the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame, Phil has the lowest-pitched singing voice ever, and a world-class mustache too. Dave Ruch, a full-time musician/performer/music researcher/teaching artist, sings and plays mandolin, guitar, banjo, octave mandolin, bones, spoons, jaw harp and probably some other things too. Jim Whitford, a Buffalo Music Hall of Famer and sideman to the stars (Peter Case, Tarbox Ramblers, Gurf Morlix, Linda McRae), rocks the string bass as well as playing dobro and guitar and singing out with all he's got. The Canal Street String Band plays theaters, colleges, music festivals, community events, folk concerts, clubs, library concerts and more. 'Their chemistry as a band was delightful to behold....a wonderful concert' -- ELLEN SMITH, PRESIDENT, GOLDEN LINK FOLK SINGING SOCIETY, ROCHESTER NY USA CD FEATURE FROM THE BUFFALO NEWS, BUFFALO NY, 8/05/11 Introducing Canal Street String Band Who?: Music scene veterans Phil Banaszak, Dave Ruch and Jim Whitford. What?: The group's debut CD, Introducing The Canal Street String Band, has four original songs in addition to a mix of traditional fiddle tunes, sea shanties and old-fashioned, knee-slapping mountain music. The disc does a great job highlighting the sound that makes this local band so unique. Why?: This is timeless music with a fun, gently modern touch. Banaszak, Ruch and Whitford all come with their own impressive accolades, and together they complement each other's talents and styles perfectly. From three-part vocal harmonies to masterful playing on pretty much every stringed instrument including guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, upright bass and dobro, these guys sound like they're having a great time.