Mountains Of The Moon: Who Was Tom Banjo??

Played 52 years ago today at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia..

https://archive.org/details/gd1969-02-15.sbd.goodbear.2175.sbeok.shnf/gd...

A possibility for "Tom Banjo." If Uncle John is John Cohen, mightn't Tom Banjo be a reference to Tom Paley, who played banjo with the New Lost City Ramblers? Like Uncle John's Band, Mountains Of The Moon contains references to folk songs that the NLCR played or would have known about.

Tom "Tom Banjo" Azarian, who is now living and sometimes performing around Burlington Vermont. We have for a long time assumed that the Tom Banjo of "Mountains of the Moon" was a now-obscure reference to Tom Azarian, who grew up in West Springfield Mass. and was one of the best known (and properly so) banjo players in that part of New England during the late 50's, the 60's and 70's. He, Burt, and another friend, Denny Clifford hung out and played a lot of traditional music around the campuses and coffeehouses of that part of western Massachusets and nearby Connecticut. He's used the performing moniker "Tom Banjo" for as long as I can remember. I don't recall the specifics, but I remember Tom talking about David Grisman and Robert Hunter circulating in the same crowd during some of those years -- along with Judy Collins and Taj Mahal, among others.

Tom's a great guy and fine banjo player and singer, but totally unengaged in mainstream music-biz culture. He has always affected a somewhat casual old timey working class sort of fashion style which jibes well with the image called up by that line in MOTM, ..."Clothed in tatters / Always will be / Tom, where did you go?"

"Hanging out on college campuses, he became "Tom Banjo" and traded licks with other young pickers including budding mandolinist David Grisman (who would later record a song with Jerry Garcia featuring a character with Azarian's nickname). Soon, he found himself and his growing family living in an old Cabot, Vt., farmhouse, where his all-night music parties became legendary"

Letter from Tom: 

I didn't name myself "Tom Banjo"--The students a the University of Conn. did. Banjo players were scarce back then and they knew I appeared from time to time, with "tattered closthes," was always unemployed and played on the college radio and parties along with Dave Grisman and Judy Collins. They named me Tom Banjo only because no one knew my last name.

In the song Mtn. of the Moon it says "clothed in tattered always will be Tom, where did you go?" Well...I did sleep in my clothes but not always...and "where did I go?" I went to Vermont in 1963--married and started a farm with horses and cattle. Now I am divorced and living in low income housing with assorted alcoholics and misfits.

I am still playing the same Vega banjo I bought in 1956. ...Cheers and good luck for all your endeavors,

Here is the whole posting, unreal amount of research.....

http://artsites.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/moon.html#tom