Meet The Band
Name:
Bob Bell
Instrument:
Banjo, Vocals
Bob has been playing old-time banjo since 1962, mainly in the clawhammer and classic traditions, and was a member of the well-received old-time band Half Shaved. Bob joined the Long Hill String Band in 2015, adding his banjo expertise, vocals, storytelling, and unique sense of humor.
Name:
Karl Varnai
Instrument:
Fiddle
Karl founded the Long Hill String Band to bring Appalachian old-time music to the public to enjoy. Born in Hungary, he began taking violin lessons there at the age of eight. In 1995, he was introduced to old-time music by his teenage daughter Erika, who also prompted him to form the band. His violin became a “fiddle,” and he has been an ardent student of old-time ever since.
Name:
George Skic
Instrument:
Upright Bass
A founding member of the band, George’s first musical instrument was the accordion, learned as a child. His first appearance with the Long Hill String Band, at a church talent show, was with a washtub bass he built himself. Soon he graduated to the bass he still uses. George also accompanies tunes on the bodhran, spoons, washboard, and tambourine, and is an expert in entertaining folks with the band’s assortment of dancing limberjacks
Name:
Bob Safranek
Instrument:
Mandolin
Pursuing his interest in old-time music, Bob learned to play the mandolin. He met Karl while playing in a jam in Somerville, New Jersey and later became a member of the band.
Name:
Charlie Pearlman
Instrument:
Guitar, Vocals
Charlie has played the guitar for many years in many genres, and founded the old-time band Squirrel Stew. He plays fingerstyle and contributes vocals.
Name:
Ron Stevenson
Instrument:
Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Madolin
Ron is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin. His classical training is in guitar and woodwinds. He has played in orchestras like Staten Island’s South Shore Band, and he currently teaches music in Manalapan, NJ. He joined the Long Hill String Band in 2022.
Name:
Woody the Limberjack and cousins.
An example of an Appalachian folk toy, our limberjack, “Woody”, is formed of wood, with jointed arms and legs that swing when its feet are tapped on a paddle. Woody and our other limberjacks, dressed in various outfits and hats, delight audiences as they swing and jump in time to our music.