Whatever she plays. I think she's a goddess, of course I'll see critics re. her outfit, her gestures (have seen people criticising some pianist's intense stare) origins or whatever.

Listening to the winner of last night's the Mercury Music Prize, Sampha...



...and having a retro moment listening to Badly Drawn Boy, 'The Hour of Bewilderbeast'...

Retro theme continued... Moved onto this classic from Mansun



...and topping it off with my favourite tv studio music performance, probably ever. Must have played this hundreds of times over the years...

Come all ye banjo lovers, gather 'round!

What an unusual (to me) way to strike a chord with a banjo. It's like seing a whole new side of a person you've known for a long time. And at the end it's as if that person laughs and says "I didn't really mean it" then slips back into thoughtfulness "well actually I did" to end with "never mind".

No idea if I make sense, it does to me. Thank you for that piece.

He strung together 3 separate songs there - the first was his own 'Early Reflection', then Bach's Presto from Sonata no.1, and lastly the 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett' - which was the theme song for the TV show 'Beverly Hillbillies' back in the 60's, which started the redneck image that everyone associates the banjo with.

Here's Steve Martin back in the 70's playing the banjo in a different, older banjo style called clawhammer, the predominate American folk music sound (along with a fiddle) for over 100 years until radio and recorded music came along:

Van the man, with maybe the best album for a waking up on a dreary Sunday morning, ever:



I'm not sure if that link worked, so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ech...VRl0MR8v_aiHwC

While we're on a banjo kick, you should listen to Rhiannon Giddens: black, beautiful and very talented.

Pete's aged a bit between these videos:





Tom

She plays a banjo without bars!

This is what did it for me this morning:

meh..

Why does it matter if she's black?

She's got a great voice but her banjo playing isn't very remarkable. I like some of her music, but IMO she and her band (The Carolina Chocolate Drops) have ridden the race card to success and (relative) fame. If they were white and playing the same music, nobody would ever have heard of them. While this may not be intentional, and the phenomenon can't be blamed directly on the group, they sure do play up their skin color (just look at the name of the group).

There are plenty of other, more talented musicians out there who would mop the floor with her and her bandmates, musically.

I saw an interview with her in a documentary where she describes first learning banjo and going to an old time music jam session. To paraphrase: 'Ive never been so alone. I was the only black person there. Afterwards I just got in my car and started to cry.'

Spare us the nonsensical self-pitiful victim mentality and drama routine, please. The racism that she considers herself a victim of is the only reason for her success, paradoxically.

__________________
you are being programmed

banjo & fiddle



banjo, fiddle, guitar

and after a bit of acoustic folk, there's nothing like having your brain melted by Santana and crew on overdrive - at their best, live in Japan, 1973.

Turn it up to 11 and to hell with the neighbors

I didn't know her before this morning but I do agree with the first part of your post.
As mentioned, I did notice that her banjo didn't have bars. I mean there are people who go through this kind of stuff with their violines

wow

Oh wow, this is very nice indeed. Thank you.

Sing along....I know you can, cmon

It doesn't have any FRETS, either.

Meanwhile:



Tom