Give Me the Banjo

The banjo is an instrument that cuts across boundaries of American history and culture. Give Me the Banjo, narrated by actor, comedian, and author Steve Martin (who also happens to be a Grammy-winning banjo artist), details how the banjo played major roles in: the nation's racist past, the creation of a uniquely American musical sound, the development of the U.S. recording industry and popular culture, the travails of the Great Depression and McCarthy era, and the surging folk music phenomenon of the 1950s and ‘60s. Drawing on engrossing archival materials and numerous interviews with musicians and folklorists, filmmaker Marc Fields demonstrates how the banjo was America's first truly homegrown instrument, initially played by African Americans to replicate African music traditions, then by whites in blackface (as part of the half-century-long minstrel phenomenon in urban America), all the while becoming rooted in the regional cultures of mining and cotton country, where the banjo sound fused with European music heritage. Along the way, the documentary introduces key figures in the evolution of banjo music, from past masters such as Joel Walker Sweeney, Gus Cannon, Charlie Poole, Pete Seeger, and bluegrass father Earl Scruggs, to contemporary artists including Béla Fleck, Bill Keith, and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. DVD extras include performances by Giddens, Taj Mahal and others, as well as a profile of Uncle Dave Macon. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)