When Michael Miles picks up the banjo, people listen

His is not the driving style of bluegrass, the measured beat of Irish tunes or the laid back style of traditional playing. Miles has a style all his own.

It is the style that makes him equally at home playing traditional music, original compositions and the works of JS Bach. It derives from a unique musical sensibility that celebrates influences as diverse as classical music and reggae, swing and Dixieland jazz.

Pete Seeger said Miles' playing is "enough to make me want to learn to play the banjo all over again."

Miles has taken his vision of the banjo to stages and appearances that stretch from France and Morocco to California. Recent years have included collaborations with jazz greats Jackie Allen and Bela Fleck, and the renowned dePasquale String Quartet from the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Miles has four CD's, an MA in music, and a few books to his credit. More info is available at www.milesmusic.org.