Give Me the Banjo

Here is an interesting documentary about the history of the banjo in American culture.  It starts with the humble roots of the banjo as a homemade instrument of suppressed slaves and goes all the way up to contemporary banjo players such as Steve Martin and Bela Fleck.  I also really like how the film mentioned the pre-Scruggs, three finger players that are often overlooked.  A guy that I used to work with was an old-time, three-finger player and often faced criticism for not being a frailer.  Apparantly old-time folks often think you have to frail to play old-time and a lot of bluegrass folks think that they are the only ones who can play three finger style.  This documentary just goes to show that the real essence of the banjo is not being completely tied down to any particular tradition, but developing one’s own way of playing based on what one has to work with.  Give Me the Banjo Documentary