Ryan plays a vintage George Washburn banjo made in the late 1800's. He has won many awards for banjo playing including contests in Pennsylvania, California, and Massachusetts. He plays in the old time clawhammer square dance style, using the drop thumb technique. Most of the tunes on this CD are chestnuts of the appalachian mountain repertoire. His original pieces, including the title tune - Great Bay Stomp, are inspired by Ryan's town of Newmarket, New Hampshire,which is situated on Great Bay, on the Atlantic Ocean. Here's the review from the Winter 1999-2000 issue of the Old Time Herald: "On this release, Ryan puts fiddle and band behind, and lays out 19 tracks of rock solid, solo, traditional clawhammer banjo...All are played confidently, evenly, and with a maturity that comes from living with the music over time...The impression this recording gives is that of Thomson at home, relaxing with familiar tunes, and just having a comfortable t...