This page contains a brief overview on the album JOHN ESTES: Dancin' Around the Banana Tree. Learn more about the artist and explore the track lists and website. If you find any information that needs to be corrected, please let us know.

 
John Estes is a 54 year old native Californian. He has been playing the guitar for over 30 years, and particularly has been a student of, and has developed a style of finger picking that is mercurial, intense, dramatic, beautiful and at times amazing. John is a collector of "old vinyl" and his guitar heroes include: Mississippi John Hirt, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Doc Watson, Leo Kotke, Jerry Garcia, Joni Mitchell and JJ Cale with a bit of John Williams there also. John has also studied and incorporated the styles of Duke Ellington, Stephen Grappelli and Sergio Mendez into his music. This disc was recorded in a wonderful new studio built by Richard Harrison, at GrassShackRecords, in Napoopoo, Hawiaii. John was recorded "live" with no internal pickups on his 1975 Martin D18. Two mikes on the guitar, and one for vocals, and every cut is a complete unedited take with no breaks or editing of guitar or vocals. Each song an individual performance so to speak.
..."John's variety of musical influences make him a true American in all the best melting pot sense of the word...John's virtuoso portrayal of so many musical styles of music and his making it sound so easy and so wonderful and so damn much fun to listen to, whelp it is certainly a collection of music that will never stray far from my stereo...as anyone's first listen to Doc's Guitar will prove, an unbelievably swift and poignant guitar style.."
PJ Stone...music critic for the Booneville Voice

Track List:
1. Doc's Guitar
2. Reason to Believe
3. Angie
4. King Bee
5. A Blues
6. Can't Make You Love Me
7. Ramblin' Jack
8. In My Life
9. If I Were A Carpenter
10. Custard Pie
11. Louise
12. Can't Help Falling In Love With You
13. Up A Lazy River
14. Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor
15. Diddy Wah Diddy
16. Both Sides Now
17. 5 Foot Two Eyes of Blue
18. My Little Darlin' Pal 'o Mine
19. Old John
20. Old Kentucky Home (Dandylion Wine &Turpentine)
21. Windy & Warm
22. Singin' the Blues
23. Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
24. Greensleeves

Suggested CDs:

• Fox and Branch
• Neil Harpe

Other Genres:

• COUNTRY: Country Folk
• FOLK: like Joni
• FEATURING GUITAR