Short Bio Two time Florida Banjo Champion, Mary Z. Cox, and African Caribbean drummer, Yazid, fuse celtic and Southern frailing banjo with Afro Caribbean drumming in highly percussive rhythms for dancing and listening. Yazid (William Johnson) is a professional drummer and percussion instructor that plays regularly with several performance and dance groups all over Florida. He is equally at home playing for banquet halls of the biggest blackpool hotels and small classes at school. His musical background ranges from professor of ethnomusicology at Florida State University to drummer for Marvin Gaye. Mary Z. Cox, banjo recording artist, plays banjo with her guitarist husband, Bob Cox, in concerts and workshops from coast to coast, and has also played for old time dances in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina for many dance groups. Mary Z. & Yazid are very pleased to introduce this new sound that draws from the not so diverse African/Caribbean and Celtic influenced Southern banjo cultures. The banjo is, after all, a drum with strings. Mary Z and Yazid are honored to be recorded and produced by Gordy Cox (Gordy Cox Productions). His world class ear for fusion blends has left a very exciting influence on our newly released CD, "Drumming On the Edge of Banjo ". Please contact: maryz@maryzcox for concert, festival, workshop, and dance engagements. If you'd like to see the dancers' hips move and sway, please consider us for your next dance or festival. :)