Bio for Mary Z. Cox/2010
Mary Z. Cox has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida champion. She has won old time music competitions on banjo, dulcimer, singing, and string band in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee and was chosen by Banjo Newsletter readers in 2006 as the fourth favorite clawhammer banjo player in the world. She has recorded six CDs, has written five banjo tab books, and has been published in Banjo Newsletter, Studio Magazine, and Old Time Herald.
She has taught banjo workshops at the Florida Folk Festival, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Music Camp, Suwannee Banjo Camp and the John C. Campbell Folk School where she has taught for seven years. Her music has been played on BBC and National Public radio, Thistle and Shamrock and is available on itunes worldwide.
Mary Z. is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as the first place winner in the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee and three time dulcimer champion at the 2006,2007, & 2009 Transylvania County (North Carolina) Old Time Music Competition.
Mary has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, fall NGFDA festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, and the Will McLean Festival. Her new "Easy String Band Method for the Mountain Dulcimer" book/cd is a new approach for beginners to learn quickly and easily without being overwhelmed.
Mary Z. and husband, Bob Cox, (a mighty fine guitarist) have entertained audiences coast to coast in concerts, festivals, and camps, and are available for house and intimate concerts, festivals, clawhammer banjo, and mountain dulcimer workshops .
Mary Z’s latest CD, Drumming On the Edge of Banjo, combines the Afro/Caribbean drumming of master drummer, Yazid, with Celtic clawhammer frailing fusion banjo with 5-string cello banjo, mountain dulcimer, dulcimette, guitar (Bob Cox), bowed bass (Jim Crozier) and George Clinton on vocals.
If you suspect you need a new banjo--you do. Trust your musical instincts. If a banjo calls to you to buy it, don't fight destiny. It was meant to be. :)