Staff Reports
Through the years in Columbus, the Banister Family Bluegrass Band has played fundraising dinners, farmers markets, arts gatherings, festivals, Fourth of July salutes, Donner Park variety shows, you name it.
They’ve even played for a Bluegrass Sunday-themed church service or two.
And in every instance, their country and bluegrass sounds have done plenty to put a song in listeners’ hearts and some pep in their step.
At the Columbus Farmer’s Market, for instance, people have been known to sing or dance just as they pass by the ensemble mid-tune
“Part of it comes back to that age-old idea of music as a universal language,” Roger Banister said a few years ago. “When you fire up the bluegrass, people often seem to be able to understand.”
That tradition will continue when the long-running group will perform a free concert at 6 p.m. Friday at the Bartholomew County Library Plaza, 536 Fifth St. in downtown Columbus.
Rain makes the show a Facebook Live event only.
The group features Banister on mandolin and banjo, lead and harmony vocals, Denise Kocur on acoustic guitar, lead and harmony vocals, and Jan Banister on bass guitar, lead and harmony vocals. Special guests often include Darryl Jones, guitar, Dave Hedrick, banjo, and Aaron Law on mandolin.
The group has been known to cover tunes from artists ranging Patsy Cline and Hank Williams to Bob Dylan.
Roger Banister saw high-profile country and bluegrass performers such as Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Dickens and Archie Campbell perform in nearby Bean Blossom in the late 1960s, and that inspiration has carried him through a lengthy career.
