Pharis & Jason Romero
Pharis & Jason Romero • Coming from a thousand miles and a border apart, Pharis and Jason Romero met in 2007 at an old-time fiddle jam. Both had been playing music for decades – Pharis her whole life – and both were drawn to early country, old time, blues, bluegrass, and fiddle-banjo music. In 2010 they moved their home and the J. Romero Banjo Company north to Pharis’ hometown, the small interior B.C. town of Horsefly. In this wilderness hamlet they build their finely crafted banjos, and write and sing dreamy old time country – and lovingly hard-cut music – playing guitars and clawhammer and finger style banjo to the songs and tunes, new and old, they adore.
“Writing songs about ageless characters, hard living, loss and love, Pharis’ songs have been played on radios around the world, and she was called a “historical treasure” by the BC Folklore Society. On stage from a very young age with her family’s country music band, she was a co-founder of the western Canadian outfit Outlaw Social, an award-winning and innovative roots-folk band that released two celebrated albums from 2005 to 2009.”
“Jason was a fixture on the Arcata, CA bluegrass and old-time scene, and is “one of the best old-time banjos players I’ve ever heard ” ~ www.hearthmusic.com
Jason and Pharis played with the acclaimed Haints Old Time Stringband, with fiddler Erynn Marshall and mandolinist/guitarist/songwriter Carl Jones. The Haints released their debut recording, Shout Monah, in 2009. “They play and sing superbly” (fRoots), and Shout Monah was named one of the best banjo releases of 2009 (Banjo Newsletter). SingOut magazine said “This is a very special recording, one that [we]’ll return to time and again.”
In 2010 Jason and Pharis went on to release their concept recording Back Up and Push.This instrumental album of fiddle tunes by nineteen celebrated west coast old-time fiddlers with guitar and banjo back-up earned them the accolade “old-time duo of Canada” (Penguin Eggs).
2011 brings the release of their first duo album, A Passing Glimpse. A beautiful collection of songs lovingly sourced from old recordings or written by Pharis, it’s an album of acoustic & National guitars, finger style and clawhammer banjo, and plenty of singing. In September 2011 A Passing Glimpse was the #1 Album on the North American Folk DJ playlists, and continues to attract audiences globally.
Aside from building and performing, they also spend much of their year teaching at music camps and workshops including BC Bluegrass Workshops, Fiddle Tunes, Voiceworks, Fiddle Works, 108 Mile Bluegrass Camp, Georgia Straight Guitar Workshop, and others.
LINKS
WebSite • www.jasonandpharis.com
FaceBook • www.facebook.com/pharisandjason
BandCamp • www.pharisjasonromero.bandcamp.com
CDBaby • www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JasonPharisRomeroandFriends
J. Romero Banjo Company is a small family company in Horsefly, British Columbia, operated by Jason and Pharis out of their home-based workshop. Established in 2002, we feel grateful every day to be creating playable works of art, drawing inspiration from places old and new. The artistry isn’t merely in the execution, it’s also in the ideas themselves – our customers’ and our own – and in that we strive to be ever changing and evolving. Jason and Pharis’ banjos can be found in the hands of Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs, Dirk Powell, Ivan Rosenberg, and many other banjo connoisseurs. Each of our banjos is handmade, unique, and heirloom quality. Find out how to acquire your own J. Romero Banjo at our company website.
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