Jan 7th, 2009 · On tour with a full band, Woven Hand's David Eugene Edwards went solo at Bob Boilen's desk with his mandolin-banjo hybrid, a unique instrument made in 1897 by the Pullman Palace Car Company. He performs his fiery Americana, as well as a plaintive take on Bob Dylan's "As I Went Out One Morning."
Jan 6th, 2009 · Steeped in the Piedmont blues of the North Carolina hill country, the trio breathes new life into the African-American string-band tradition. The group brings a claw-hammer banjo, fiddles, snare drum, bone percussion and even a kazoo to Mountain Stage.
Nov 4th, 2008 · A chance meeting in California with Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan launched the endless musical education of banjo player Jayme Stone. He's taken inspiration from many musical styles, languages and cultures all over the world, and his genre-bending music recognizes no borders. Stone and kora player Mansa Sissoko recently visited Mountain Stage and performed music from their album, From Africa to Appalachia.
Oct 12th, 2008 · While typically associated with traditional bluegrass, country and even jazz, the banjo has roots that stretch all the way back to West Africa. Musician Jayme Stone made that journey in search of the ancestors of his own banjo; along the way, he met kora player Mansa Sissoko. The two have collaborated on a new album called Africa to Appalachia.
Oct 9th, 2008 · Recently, The Athens News ran a competition to determine the "coolest" person in the Ohio county. The results? A local banjo player beat out a founding member of The Jefferson Airplane.
Aug 13th, 2008 · Julian Koster may not be a familiar name to you. But if you've heard the music of Neutral Milk Hotel, you've heard Koster at work. He appeared on stage and in the studio with Neutral Milk Hotel back in the '90s, playing the musical saw, banjo and other instruments. In 1999 Koster released a solo album under the name "The Music Tapes." Now, 9 years later, he's back with a follow up.
Jul 11th, 2008 · Tampa Bay-based alt-country group Have Gun, Will Travel began as the solo project of lead singer and songwriter Matthew Burke, and released its 2006 self-titled debut as such. Since then, HGWT has become a full band, and the group's sophomore release, Casting Shadows Tall as Trees, is steeped in the country twinges of lap steel, harmonica, banjo, strings, and acoustic guitars. Music aside, though, the record's true strength is its artful tributes to classic westerns, tying the album stylistically and thematically to the wild-west in all its gun-blazing glory.
Jul 8th, 2008 · The son of great Malian bluesman Ali Farka Toure grew up secretly learning to play the guitar. Now he has his own music and his own style. He performs with Mama Sissoko on ngoni, a West African ancestor of the banjo.