Joe Troop's Whirlwind at The Evening Muse

Joe Troop's Whirlwind
The Evening Muse
Charlotte, NC
April 23, 2025

Joe Troop grew up in the tobacco town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. However, a year of study abroad in Spain led him to move to Argentina, where he lived for several years. He absorbed Latin music until it became his second language. The banjo is his primary instrument, but his bluegrass background has been thoroughly blended with his experience in World Music. He opened the show with a short acoustic set, outlining the story of his travels and demonstrating an astonishing facility on the banjo.

"Runnin' from the Weather" showcased his Piedmont roots in Winston-Salem, blending bluegrass and psychedelic rock. Study abroad in Seville, Spain exposed him to flamenco music, resulting in the song "Seville." He met an Argentinian bandoneon player—exposing him to the milonga tango rhythm—which led to his move to Buenos Aires. "Me afanaron en la parada del 4" (I got mugged while waiting for the No. 4 bus) was inspired by an event that makes for a far better story than the actual painful experience. His U.S. State Department tour provided exposure to a lot of music. "Monte Oscuro" (Dark Holler) showed Appalachian music through an Argentine lens. "Mercy for Migrants" was a manifesto, a declaration of his feelings about the current immigrant situation.

The band set included Joe Troop (electric banjo, vocals, bandleader), Rebecca Kleinmann (flute, vocals), Bailey Newman (viola, vocals), Ramon Garcia (electric bass), and Gaston Reggio (drums, vocals). The leader stated that this was the second full-band gig (following their formation in Durham, NC). He felt the music was about a seven-year life cycle. "Whirlwind" was a cinematic portrayal of his problematic life in Buenos Aires, done in a kind of Latin art-rock style (including a hard grooving drum solo). "Bochomo" was a portrait of his Argentinian father figure. "Leavin'" and "Home" were played as a medley, a samba depicting the end of his marriage. Troop's overdriven electric banjo solo came off like a guitar, reflecting the influence of guitarists like John Scofield.

At this point he introduced the band. Although based in Durham, they came from all over: flutist Kleinmann is from Charlotte; violist Newman was originally from Connecticut; electric bassist Garcia is Mexican; and drummer Reggio is from Uruguay (which Troop credited for his ability to play the band's rhythms correctly). "Forgiveness" was given its first performance. It featured a rich vocal introduction in four-part harmony and a banjo part that emulated a classical guitar. The closer "Written in Music" ended the show with a hypnotic ostinato. Since the group had performed their entire repertoire, an encore was out of the question! It was a fine night of music, with Troop's singular banjo playing accompanied by an equally accomplished band.

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