Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

2022 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year

#1

IBMA is an award organization similar to the Grammys, only for bluegrass. Here are the nominees for guitar player of the year. These players are so good is tough to choose which one is the most deserving, and since neither Banjo Ben nor Jake Stogdill appear on the list, I would vote for Trey Hensley, but any one of them would be fine with me.

Maybe someone will see the list and think somebody should have made the cut but is not on there. Are many other great players worthy of the award. Being someone who can do it all, Banjo Ben could be considered one of the great multi internalist as well. I even wonder if Ben’s best instrument hasn’t even been showcased here in this forum?

Billy Strings
Trey Hensley
Cody Kilby
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle

5 Likes
#2

I’d probably vote for Cody Killy since he’s never won it.

3 Likes
#3

My guess is Molly wins it. She’s had a lot of talk about her b/c of her new album this year and I think she’s in a prime position for the award. I really hope Trey wins soon though- he definitely deserves Guitar Player of the Year one of these years. And I was shocked to find out that Cody’s never won.

3 Likes
#4

It has, but only a few times. He is THE spoons master. He is so advanced that he refuses to share his tab for what he is playing. It’s kind of like Eddie VanHalen in the early years… turning his back to the audience during solos so folks wouldn’t steal his licks.

8 Likes
#5

big%20laugh

3 Likes
#6

Soundgarden - Spoonman - Bing video

1 Like
#7

I definitely think it will go to Molly. She’s set herself up for it this past year with her return to a bluegrass album and the crazy popular tour she’s been doing.

I wish Trey or Cody would win it though; I would vote for either of them. Cody because he’s never won it and Trey because I honestly think he is the best on the list. He’s my favorite player on the list for sure.

I can’t vote because I’m not a current IBMA voting member.

6 Likes
#8

I would vote for Trey.

4 Likes
#9

I would vote Trey all the way, i think Molly will get it tho.

5 Likes
#10

I hope Trey wins too. But remember, it doesn’t mean that much.

6 Likes
#11

Trey or Cody, both deserve it big time, but alas what @Luke_L said is true, and it’s a shame.

8 Likes
#12

I would really love to see Cody Kilby win. My first real bluegrass show was Ricky Skaggs and KT around 2018. I was on the 4th row right in front of Cody. I think his playing was the main focus of my attention that entire show.

That being said, I really like Molly Tuttle’s new album too and I saw her perform most of the songs at the Station Inn this spring.

Who could ever not vote on Bryan Sutton, that’s all there is there.

Really everyone is great on that list. Making awards for who is the best musician is something I think really can’t be done. Everyone has different tastes and you really can’t quantify who is better when they are all virtuosos in their own right. I think I will just listen to them all but I would really be happy to see Cody get the award just because I really believe he is held in such high regard in the music community.

5 Likes
#13

It’s just too bad it’s a popularity award not who’s really the best. Proof of that is who won last year :expressionless:

6 Likes
#14

It seems like they generally look for who was most active in a given year, e.g. Billy’s win after he released an album etc. Hence “guitar player of the year” I guess :sweat_smile: which I kind of only realized a few days ago :joy:

5 Likes
#15

Billy is ridiculously overrated in my opinion. I think he kinda appeals to the younger generation of today for obvious reasons, but countless other players are much better.

3 Likes
#16

Billy’s an icon and pays a lot of tribute to a bunch of people from Doc Watson to Jerry Garcia. I think he mainly appeals to young folks who are getting into newgrass and also middle aged Grateful Dead fans. If you take just him playing acoustic by himself, he actually tends to play very traditional. But he’ll be doing that one minute and then the next be playing a psychedelic distorted acoustic-electric rock number whilst jumping around on stage in front of a smoke machine and laser beams. :joy: I’m not particularly a fan of the music and I’m against the drug culture etc. but I do understand how a lot of people like him. I certainly don’t think he’s mainly a bluegrass artist. I don’t think he’s trying to be, either.

6 Likes
#17

While I’m sure he’s a brilliant guitar player and a hard worker in the business, the language I heard in the few shows I started to watch shocked me enough to shut it off. Nothing against him or anyone who likes him, but it’s not for me.

5 Likes
#18

That’s true, he uses mild foul language in some of his songs. The way he acts when he plays, his hair and clothing choices etc kinda turn me off. He’s better than your average guitar player but he doesn’t come close to Bryan, Jake, Trey and folks like that.

1 Like
#19

Completely different styles… Billy is making his own music in sort of a subgenre. I think of his music about like I think of most rock music. No reason banjo and mandolin don’t fit into rock really. That kinda music isn’t for me. And yeah, I wouldn’t listen to any of those solo livestreams he does when he’s hanging around playing guitar and smoking weed. I would also say there’s a difference between listenability and technical skill, and you want those to intersect. Billy’s playing itself seems to lean toward listenability for me and I like that part of it. The other factors are just a deal breaker for me

1 Like
#20

I’m not really sure who my favorite musicians are honestly. I used to like Bela Fleck and Noam Pikelny the best, but I’m starting to like traditional stuff a lot. I like players who mix traditional and progressive techniques, it seems like it’s mostly one or the other nowadays. Trey Hensley, Jake Workman, and Bryan Sutton are definitely my favorite guitar players, might need to check out more of Tony Rice because someone says he’s incredible… :joy:

2 Likes