The banjo has seen a resurgence in popularity in contemporary music lately, but there is no one who approaches the instrument quite like NYC based musician, Mike Savino. Performing under the name Tall Tall Trees, his music has evolved from a four piece band into a one man psychedelic folk orchestra over its 6 year… Read moreShow less
The banjo has seen a resurgence in popularity in contemporary music lately, but there is no one who approaches the instrument quite like NYC based musician, Mike Savino. Performing under the name Tall Tall Trees, his music has evolved from a four piece band into a one man psychedelic folk orchestra over its 6 year lifespan. Savino has been turning heads with his innovative banjo skills, looping, bowing, and drumming his way into the hearts of listeners around the world, including a recent appearance at the legendary Newport Folk Festival.
Savino has been touring for nearly two years nonstop in support of his 2012 album "moment" and as a member of indie pop virtuoso Kishi Bashi's band. Tall Tall Trees' latest release, "The Seasonal EP" is a precursor to an upcoming full length album, funded by fans through the PledgeMusic platform and sees Savino employing the skills he been honing on the road performing his energetic and oftentimes frenetic one man shows. Produced with his longtime friend Kishi Bashi in his Athens, GA studio, "The Seasonal EP" is four songs, three original and a reimagining of Animal Collective's "My Girls". In an effort to capture the sound of his live show, most of the sounds heard on the EP are created with one instrument, a hyper modded banjo Savino has dubbed the "Banjotron" along with some guest appearances from Kishi Bashi, Philip Mayer on drums, and additional vocals from Brooklyn electro pop singer HEIDEMANN. Each of the four songs are drenched in the wide palette of sounds coaxed from his extensive pedal board and feature Savino's banjo drumming technique, which he discovered when he left his bass drum at home accidentally before a show. A spirited performer with a sense of humor and a love for improvisation, Savino will rarely play a song the same way twice, keeping his audiences guessing night after night.
2015 will see the release of a new Tall Tall Trees full length album which Savino has self proclaimed to be "one of the most insane banjo records known to man".
