• We play the happiest music there is. We've been around for over forty years and have thousands of fans in the San Francisco Bay area.
  
  
• Our mission is to preserve the four string banjo and the music associated with it.
  We offer scholarships to learn to play the four string banjo and the “gutbucket”.
  
  
• We play for parties, and meetings -- anywhere that happy music is wanted.
  
  
• Charlie Tagawa, our leader, is a member of the National Four-string Banjo Hall of Fame.
  
  
• We are a non-profit corporation and we make significant contributions to local charities.
  Over the years, we have given over $190,000 to various charities.
  
  
• We are always open to new members.
  We offer scholarships to people of any age who want to learn the four string banjo or the gutbucket (wash tub bass.)
  

To hear the Peninsula Banjo Band play Sweet Georgia Brown
(A minute or two is required to down load the music.)

To hire us; to inquire about membership or a scholarship; or to send us e-mail.

Or call, our booking agent, at 408-993-BAND (408-993-2263)

The Annual Banjo Jubilee

For information on our CD’s and cassettes.

For information on our books "Stories Behind Your Favorite Banjo Music"

A Quick History of the Peninsula Banjo Band.

About Charlie Tagawa, the Peninsula Banjo Band leader.

About Banjo Bands in the Bay Area.

Four String Banjo Related Links.

Mostly for Members.

The 37th Annual Peninsula Banjo Band Jubilee

Five hours of banjo bands and solo banjo performers will entertain you on:
Sunday, September 13, 2009
San José Holiday Inn            1740 North First Street            San Jose
12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. 

Join us for Bayou to the Bay: The Banjo Comes West.

The Banjo Stompers of Tokyo

and

Arno Hagenaars of the Netherlands
will demonstrate the banjo's international popularity.

Adding to the international flavor of this year's Jubilee

from The Netherlands

Arno Hagenaars appearing with Erwin Leijs

Wonderful soloists from California will bring us their unique talents.
Charlie Tagawa, Bill Lowrey, and Kurt Abell.

Five large bands will perform: 
East Bay Banjo Club,
Happy Time Banjos, 
Peninsula Banjo Band,
Sacramento Banjo Band,
Wineland Banjo Band.

General Admission $20.00 advance sales. $25.00 at the door.
Patron Tickets: (reserved  front row seating) $50.00 ($25.00 is tax deductible)
Children under 12 are free.

Advance tickets: Mail check payable to the Peninsula Banjo Band and mail to
Dolly Freese
167 Lois Lane
Palo Alto, CA 94303

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CD’s and cassettes from the Peninsula Banjo Band

That Charlie Sound

You'll love every one of the 17 songs on this great new CD.
All the arrangments are by Charlie Tagawa.

We start with 8 songs from the full band, with exciting solos fom Bill Lowrey, Jimmie Min and Dorothy Horning.
o Just Because
o Limehouse Blues
o San Francisco Bay Blues
o Bei Mir Bist Du Shon
o I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
o Smiles
o St. Louis Blues
o Tarentella Napoletano / Finiculi Finicula

These three songs are by "Charlie and Sons."
They are the only recordings of Charlie Tagawa's mastery of the tenor banjo.
o Minuet in G
o Turkish March
o Temptation Rag

Then back to the full band. Wait till you hear South Rampart Street Parade and Stars and Stripes Forever.
o Roll On Mississippi
o Do You Know what It Means to Miss New Orleans
o South Rampart Street Parade
o Take Me Home Country Roads
o Wheels
o Stars and Stripes Forever

To order
Send check or money order for $20.00 payable to the Peninsula Banjo Band at:
Peninsula Banjo Band
6310 Desert Flame Drive
San Jose, CA 95120
We will ship postage paid.

For other PBB recordings and books, see the following sections.

Over the years, the Peninsula Banjo Band has produced a number of recordings. We have re-mastered two of our old LPs to wonderful new CDs.
(The sound clip that you are hearing now is from More! More! More! )

Our 3 offerings are: JUST BECAUSE, MORE! MORE! MORE! and JUST ONE MORE TIME.
Contents of each are listed below.

The cost is $15.00 for CDs and $10.00 for cassettes.

And, for a limited time, you can order
2 CDs for $25.00 or
3 CDs for $35 and with your order for 3 CDs we'll include one volume in the series Stories Behind Your Favorite Banjo Songs

Make your check payable to the Peninsula Banjo Band;
include $2.00 per item ($5.00 Maximum) for shipping and handling, and mail to:
Peninsula Banjo Band
6310 Desert Flame Drive
San Jose, CA 95120

Just Because
originally recorded in the 1970's, with a band of 70 members.
Available in CD only.

Just Because
Carolina in the Morning
Somebody Stole My Gal
Alabama Jubilee
Waiting for the Robert E. Lee
Alabamy Bound
Bill Bailey
Shine on Harvest Moon
Hava Nagilah
For Me and My Gal
When the Saints Go Marching In

More! More! More!
Originally recorded in the 80's
Available in CD and cassette.

Beer Barrel Polka
Five Foot Two
Somewhere My Love
I’ve Been Floating Down the Old Green River
Under the Double Eagle
San Antonio Rose
Coney Island Washboard
Am I Blue
Sweet Georgia Brown
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
I Wish I was in Peoria
High Society

Just One More Time
Available in CD and cassette.

Bourbon Street Parade
At A Georgia Camp Meeting
The Old Rugged Cross
Sweet Georgia Brown
Sailing Down The Chesapeake Bay
Tin Roof Blues
Bill Bailey
Exactly Like You
What A Wonderful World
When the Saints Go Marching In

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The Stories Behind Your Favorite Banjo Songs

These three books contains articles which were originally published in the Band's newsletter, The News and Views.

Volume I

• Tin Pan Alley
• Al Jolson - The World's Greatest Entertainer
• One Hit Wonders: Jesse Fuller - The "Lone Cat"; Freddy Morgan
• Polkas: Beer Barrel Polka, Liechtensteiner Polka, Pennsylvania Polka and Just Because.
• Bill Bailey, the Blues and Frankie and Johnny
• Shine on Harvest Moon and Take Me Out to the Ball Game
• The Whole Thing II: American Patrol, Columbia the Gem of the Ocean, John Brown's Body, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Dixie, California Here I Come.
• Irving Berlin
• Shelton Brooks
• Dueling Banjos
• Cruising Down the River
• The Chipmunk Song and Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer

48 pages and a dozen articles and -- only $5.00. (+$2.00 S&H)

Volume II

• Spaghetti Rag and Vaudeville
• Gus Kahn
• Hank Williams
• One Hit Wonders — Eugene Lockhart, Kyu Sakamoto, Bob Carleton
• Armed Forces Songs
• Crossovers
• Bert Kaempfert
• Paul Whiteman
• Waiting For the Robert E. Lee
• Jingle Bells and Jingle Bell Rock

52 pages, eleven articles and -- only $5.00. (+$2.00 S&H)

Volume III

• Belle Baker -- All of Me, Blue Skies
• Kalmar and Ruby -- A Kiss to Build a Dream On, Who's Sorry Now, I've Been Floating ...
• A Trio of Irish Waltzes -- My Wild Irish Rose, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Sweet Rosie O'Grady
• Kerry Mills -- At a Georgia Camp Meeting, Red Wing
• What a Record that Was -- Tzena Tzena Tzena and Goodnight Irene
• Young and Lewis -- My Mammy, Shanty Town, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down, How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em ..., Dinah
• The Whole Thing -- Under the Double Eagle, Stars and Stripes Forever, Saints
• Harry Akst -- Am I Blue, Baby Face, Dinah
• South Rampart Street Parade
• Ice Cream
• Bob Wills, Western Swing and San Antonio Rose
• Christmas Songs -- Little Drummer Boy, Winter Wonderland

53 pages, twelve articles and -- only $5.00. (+$2.00 S&H)

Volume IV

• One Hit Wonders: Paul Barbarin, Bent Fabric
• A Showboat Mystery
• Two Railroad Songs: I've Been Working on the Railroad and Wabash Cannonball
• Two "Irish" Songs: MacNamara's Band, Danny Boy
• More One Hit Wonders: Washington and Lee Swing, Heartaches
• Two Peggys: Peg of my Heart, Peggy O'Neill
• Saint Louis Blues: W C Handy and Glen Miller
• Eddie Cantor
• Jerry Herman: Hello Dolly and Mame
• Gene Autry

50 pages, 10 articles and only $5.00 (+ $2.00 S&H)

All books are soft cover with photos in black and white.

To order, send check or money order for $7.00 each, ($5.00 plus $2.00 for shipping and handling) to:
Peninsula Banjo Band, 6310 Desert Flame Drive, San Jose, CA 95120

Or, get a copy of any book free with your order for 3 CDs.
To read about and order CDs

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A Quick History of the Peninsula Banjo Band

The PBB has performed at many public and private affairs including street festivals, retirement homes, private parties and grand civic occasions. It performed at the anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge, the reopening of the cable cars, San Francisco’s Black and White ball, Candlestick Park, the Cherry Blossom festivals, Music in the Park in San Jose, the opening of the San Jose Convention Center, special events at the De Young museum and for President Clinton and Vice-president Gore. Most recently, the band performed at the opening ceremony of The Tech museum in San Jose.

The band has been directed for 40 of its 43 years by Charlie Tagawa, a master of the tenor banjo.

For a complete history of the Band, and membership list, read the article written recently for the Peninsula Banjo Band newsletter, the News and Views.

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About Banjo Bands in the Bay Area

Appearances of 4-string banjo players in the Bay Area

• Bob Lasley - Every other Thurdsay, 7 - 9 PM,
  Straw Hat pizza Parlor 1535 Meridian San Jose
  (with the Scarlett La Rue Band).
• The Banjo Guys - Every Monday 6 - 8 PM
  The Little Store, 3340 Woodside Road, Woodside PM
• Dave Marty - Every Sunday, 5:30 - 9:30 PM
  Marin Joe's, 1585 Casa Buena Drive, Corte Madera
  (The Main Street Jazz Band with Gary Newman, piano, and John Moore, bass).
• East Bay Banjo Club - Every Tuesday, 8 - 10 PM
  Round Table Pizza, 1938 Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill.
  (510) 928-0126.
  Contact: Terry Horner @ (925) 283-7234.
• Happy Time Banjos 
  Contact: Dorothy Horning @ (650) 851-7223.
• Peninsula Banjo Band - Every Tuesday, 8 - 9 PM
  Straw Hat Pizza, 1535 Meridian Ave., San Jose.
  Contact: (408) 993-BAND (993-2263)
• Sacramento Banjo Band - First & third Sundays of each month, 2 - 4 PM
  Straw Hat Pizza, 2929 Mather Field Road, Rancho Cordova
  Contact: Ben Dale@ 1-800-251-6415.
• San Francisco Banjo Band - First Saturday of each month, 8:30 - 11:30 PM
  Molloy's Tavern, 1655 Mission Road, Colma.
  Contact: Bill Portman @ (650) 692-7878.

4-string banjo players in the Bay Area are encouraged to list their engagements.
To be listed, Click here or phone Jim Strickland 408-268-3956.

In the past, the Penninsula Banjo Band newsletter, The News and Views, printed a series of articles called Our Banjo World featuring banjo bands in our area. We invite you to read the articles and visit the band in your area.

• The Peninsula Banjo Band, San Jose
• The Happy Time Banjos, Redwood City
• The Sacramento Banjo Band, Sacramento
• The San Francisco Banjo Band, San Francisco
  
• The Capitol Kids, Sacramento

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Four-string Banjo Related Links

• Banjos Unlimited -- the association of banjo bands and banjo players dedicated to the preservation of the banjo and its music.
• FIGA (Fretted Instrument Guild of America) -- includes links to other banjo sites
• Jim Bottorff - on playing the banjo. Includes songs to play along.
• Four String Banjo Hall of Fame and Museum. History of the Four-string banjo, gallery of classic instruments and more.
• Jazz Banjo Magazine. Magazine with excellent articles, two radio stations and more.
• Frets.com -- a great collection of articles and tips from a luthier (for all fretted instruments)
  
• Sacramento Banjo Band.
• East Bay Banjo Club.
• Wineland Banjo Band.