The Statesville Highballers are a four-piece old-time band whose members have crossed the nation and the globe to be in the midst of old-time music. Sarah Peterson's driving fiddling, Ken Inoue's rhythmic and melodic fretless banjo playing, Kazumi Inoue's punchy guitar style, and John Johnason's solid bass combine to create energetic and danceable music.
Banjo-player Ken Inoue and guitarist Kazumi Inoue are originally from Osaka, Japan. They first learned about Southern old-time music by listening to record albums and visiting old-time players. Inspired by the music, Ken and Kazumi started the Billiken String Band in 1980 with fellow Japanese old-time musicians. In 1986, the couple moved to New York City where they met a young fiddler named David Bass and formed the popular band Cool As Grits. In 1994, the Inoues decided to move to North Carolina to be nearer to the heart of old-time music; they now reside in Statesville with their two children. Ken and Kazumi are regulars at local fiddlers' conventions and have won several ribbons for Ken's banjo playing and Kazumi's flatfoot dancing.
Sarah Peterson grew up in Flint, Michigan. From an early age, she attended bluegrass festivals with her family. She began taking violin lessons at the age of 10 and continued to play through college. In the early 1990s, Sarah moved to California. There she took up old-time fiddling and clawhammer banjo. Sarah played in several bands in San Francisco and Los Angeles, performing throughout the state. When her interest in traditional Southern music deepened, Sarah decided to move to North Carolina to further pursue her love of the music. She settled in Greensboro in 1999 and quickly became a part of the local old-time community.
John Johanson spent his early years in Austin, Texas, a hotbed of western swing and country music. In 1987, John moved to North Carolina to study sculpture and history at Guilford College. In Greensboro, he met several old-time musicians and began playing upright bass in such bands as Sissy T & the Grown-Ups and the Banjoids. John joined the Statesville Highballers after returning from piano technician school in Boston. In addition to being a certified master piano tuner, John is a talented instrument-maker whose creative banjos and basses have garnered much attention and a few prize ribbons.
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| Updated January 16, 2002 |
Copyright 2001,
Tim Maines |
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