Conversations with North American Banjo Builders, Four Volume Set, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
In May of 2011, Craig Evans packed up his video equipment and headed out across the United States to capture the thoughts and methods of the modern-day individuals who build one of America's most iconic instruments: the banjo.
Conversations with North American Banjo Builders is a 4-volume, 12-DVD series that includes 38 interviews with open-back banjo builders, historians, and retailers. Each episode in the series devotes 20+ minutes to a single builder, and includes a personal statement, workshop tour, production information, and images of finished banjos. Many include sound tracks of the banjos being played by recognized old-time musicians and/or the builders themselves.
The four-volume set can be sampled and purchased on the Smithsonian Folkways website.
Volume 1: Banjo Builders East of the Mississippi
Volume 2: Banjo Builders West of the Mississippi
Volume 3: Conversations with Banjo Historians
Volume 4: More North American Banjo Builders