From Pete:
Big congrats to Tray Wellington for his well-deserved honor! I met Tray when he’d been playing less than a year, age 15. He applied for (and got) a scholarship to my Merlefest Jam Camp. His “audition” video showed a lot of talent, though I remember he lost his roll in the middle of the tune, and fell over on his bed laughing. We hosted him a few times at the camp, and at one, I arranged for Greg and Janet Deering to show up early and surprise him with a pro-level Deering banjo — the Brian Friesen Memorial banjo, that they would occasionally present to promising young players. The campers were almost as thrilled as Tray to see the talented teenager surprised with an excellent banjo, replacing his starter instrument. I’ll never forget that moment!
Tray is a lovely guy and deeply dedicated to his music. His progress in less than 10 years of playing is truly astounding! He’s very focused and his results are something to behold. The band that he leads now is only his second band, the first being the great Cane Mill Road, that he formed in the early years with Liam Purcell, another Jam Camp scholarship winner.
To hear Tray’s wide range of interest and talents, check out his great record, Black Banjo, which has some really ear-catching bluegrass as well as various explorations.
The Steve Martin Banjo Prize, of which I’ve been a board member since it started in 2010, is an exceptional gift to bluegrass and the banjo, by Steve and his wife Anne Stringfield. This year’s other winner is the remarkable clawhammer player from Canada, Allison de Groot. The winners have now covered a wide range of styles, and they are the leading lights of “the future of the banjo”.
Hooray for Tray!
See Tray and Allison play a bit and get interviewed on Deering Live:
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