Paul Mackrell                                     

Paul Mackrell is a banjo champion tried and true. At the Deer Creek fiddlers' convention they only let him compete every-other-year as he's captured 1st place regularly in the "traditional" category for old-time banjo. He's upheld the style faithfully for over 25 years now and has no intentions of slowing down. Paul is also a great tenor vocalist and boogie-woogie guitar fool-- he can't resist a good jam day or night. Your mandolin, fiddle, clarinet or piano isn't safe around him either. Like many of the Knuckle Dusters, Paul grew up with music in his blood and in school. His father played fiddle and mandolin, and his son currently plays saxophone and drums. Paul also performs occasionally at local square dances and festivals with the Maryland based "South Mountain String Band."