Larry Marschall was a founder of the Busted-Toe Mudthumpers, predecessor of the Highwoods String Band, and since the 1960’s has played banjo with various bands including Yonder City (with Dick Staber, Tracy Schwarz and Jerry McCoury) and the West Orrtanna String Band, with whom he opened for Ralph Stanley, Jim and Jesse, Alan Ginsburg, and the Flying Wallendas. He recently returned to performing and teaching bluegrass banjo after a long digression as an astronomy professor and science writer. His banjo style, admired by his peers as both melodically and harmonically inventive, has been described as “full of dark energy”