The Couth Buzzard

While in town to teach a banjo workshop at Dusty Strings, we’re THRILLED that Benny Bleu is going to take the stage at the Couth Buzzard!

“His recordings balance thoughtful lyricism with expressive instrumental work, inviting listeners to slow down and engage more closely with their surroundings.” – Putumayo World Music

Benny Bleu Haravitch makes folk music in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Pairing timely songwriting with his distinctive instrumental banjo work, Benny pushes at the boundaries of traditional Appalachian music creating a sound Bluegrass Situation calls “old-time with plenty of modern twists.”

A train-traveling, smartphone-rejecting, modern-day luddite, his music reflects a sustained exploration of humanity’s relationship with the earth. His latest project, When I Am a Fossil, draws on Benny’s former career as an environmental geologist and imagines a distant future when all that remains of us is buried in the rock record. Reaching #2 on the Folk Radio chart, Benny is promoting the album on a nation-wide Amtrak tour in autumn 2026.