Conversations with North American Banjo Builders - Sample from Volume 1

Learn more about the new release here: http://s.si.edu/1MDY99o 

This 4-volume, 12-DVD set depicts the living history of one of the most iconic instruments in North American folk music. Produced and provided to Smithsonian Folkways by filmmaker Craig Evans, each episode profiles a particular working builder and highlights the workshop, production techniques, and finished banjos. The four volumes are “Banjo Builders East of the Mississippi” (1), “Banjo Builders West of the Mississippi” (2), “Conversations with Historians” (3), and “Even More Builders” (4). The series presents luthiers from one of four banjo styles: gourd, minstrel, traditional, and modern.

Produced by Craig Evans and Frailinflix Productions, the series will now receive full distribution via Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and add to an already extensive focus on the banjo that includes 343 albums, 11 videos, 4 lesson plans for educators, and the film Talking Feet which documents different types of solo Southern dance.