Anthony Howell is a Mississippi banjo player who won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship at Winfield, Kansas, in 2023. He plays every bluegrass instrument and has won state contests on banjo and guitar. He has played banjo with Williamson Branch, the Edgar Loudermilk Band, and Seth Mulder and Midnight Run, and his solo album Banjo Aficionado followed.
Why Howell matters
Howell is a working band banjo player who also wins the big contests. His solo releases include his take on Groundspeed. ToneSlabs makes a signature Anthony Howell thumb pick.
Life and career
Howell grew up in Zama, Mississippi, and started on mandolin at 11. He has since learned all the bluegrass instruments. In 2015 he played banjo with Tyler Carroll and Pineridge and won the Mississippi State flatpick guitar and banjo championships, placing second on mandolin. In 2018 he joined Williamson Branch. He won the Arkansas State Banjo Championship in 2021 and released Memories. In 2022 he joined the Edgar Loudermilk Band, and in 2023 he released Hold Back the Dawn and won Winfield. In 2024 he joined Seth Mulder and Midnight Run. His album Banjo Aficionado includes his single Highway 19.
Playing style
Howell plays Scruggs-based banjo.
Signature tunes and songs
Groundspeed Highway 19 End of the Line.
Essential recordings
Memories (2021) Hold Back the Dawn (2023) Banjo Aficionado
Awards and honors
Mississippi State Bluegrass Banjo Championship, first place (2015) Mississippi State Flatpick Guitar Championship, first place (2015) Arkansas State Banjo Championship, first place (2021) National Bluegrass Banjo Championship, Walnut Valley Festival, first place (2023)
What to learn from Howell
Learn a second bluegrass instrument, the way Howell learned them all. The technique to steal is hearing the band. Playing mandolin or guitar teaches you what the banjo should leave room for.
Sources
Howell, Anthony, BluegrassBios.com Anthony Howell archives, Bluegrass Today Walnut Valley Festival winners archive, alphabetical (PDF)
Related players
See the banjo players hub and the bluegrass banjo guide for more pickers. Howell won Winfield the year before Brandon Green took his second title.