"Give Me The Banjo" documentary - A plea for help !.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I heard from our 'Cafe colleague Willie,that the documentary film about the story of the Banjo in America "Give Me The Banjo",is to be premiered on PBS on Friday.Nov.4th.
The programe was originally entitled "The Banjo Project",& when i first heard of it,i e-mailed the director,Marc Fields,to ask him if it was to be released as a DVD
at some point,& also if it would be made available in the UK. I received no reply !.
I think that regardless of which instrument we play,programmes such as this are
priceless.
If anybody on here can find out more regarding the above,please post the info.on here. There's a few 'banjer pickers' on here who'd be very grateful - me for one. I can then pass any info.onto the several UK pickers that i know, & they can also 'spread the word',
Ivan ;)

[Scott Tichenor]

“GIVE ME THE BANJO” PREMIERES ON PBS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011, AS PART OF THE FIRST PBS ARTS FALL FESTIVAL

Steve Martin Narrates Chronicle of the Country’s Music, History and Popular Culture Through “America’s Quintessential Instrument”

Multi-Faceted Companion Web Site Will Expand Program’s Impact
9:00 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON, DC, [Updated September 22, 2011] – This fall, PBS viewers will embark on an epic musical odyssey through 300 years of American history and culture by way of the banjo — from its earliest use by enslaved Africans in colonial America to the 21st century. GIVE ME THE BANJO, a documentary presented by UNC-TV North Carolina, premieres Friday, November 4, 2011, at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). GIVE ME THE BANJO is part of the first PBS Arts Fall Festival, a multi-platform event anchored by nine films that highlight artists and performances from around the country.

Narrated by actor/comedian/banjoist Steve Martin, and guided by modern banjo masters such as Earl Scruggs, Pete Seeger, Bela Fleck, Mike Seeger, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Abigail Washburn, GIVE ME THE BANJO explores American music from minstrelsy, ragtime and blues, to folk and bluegrass. In addition to musicians, a mix of folklorists, historians, instrument makers and passionate amateurs tells stories of America’s instrument in all its richness and diversity. Rare stills, first-hand narratives, archival footage and recordings of historic banjo figures surround and expand on the expert commentary.

[It was announced September 14, 2011 that Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and country music royalty Rosanne Cash, whose music spans many genres, from country and folk to blues, rock and pop, will host the program. Daughter of the late legend Johnny Cash, she has sung with banjo legend Earl Scruggs, who is featured prominently in the broadcast. In addition to introducing the show, Cash will talk with country music star Rodney Crowell about the influence of banjo music on their individual styles.]

PBS member station UNC-TV produced the short documentary film that will accompany GIVE ME THE BANJO, titled “Hand Made.” A short description: Out of both necessity and ingenuity, the handcrafting of tools and household items helped sustain the people and the culture of the remote Blue Ridge Mountains for centuries. Today these crafts continue in both their most traditional forms and in bold interpretations that veer toward contemporary art. This film explores the work of four Blue Ridge Mountain artists — wood carver Davy Arch, metal worker Bill Brown, potter Mark Peters and basket maker Billie Ruth Sudduth — capturing the traditions of their crafts while tapping into the creative forces that inspire more abstract expressionism.

GIVE ME THE BANJO was directed by Emmy® Award-winning writer/producer Marc Fields. Banjo master Tony Trischka, one of the most acclaimed acoustic musicians of his generation, served as music director. Michael Kantor is executive producer. Nine years in the making, the production traveled to 14 states; more than 350 hours of interviews and performances were filmed.

“What we found compelling, and what drove this project from the inception, is the fact that you can really get a new perspective on the story of American popular music with the banjo as the vehicle,” says Fields. “It truly cuts across all categories and boundaries of race, class, region or genre. The instrument is at the root of roots music and at the crossroads where folk tradition meets commercialism, yet it’s still struggling for the respect and serious attention it deserves.”

This multi-platform project will offer additional materials on the PBS Arts website. A wealth of musical and historical content beyond the broadcast program are the foundation of a web-based archive (www.thebanjoproject.org) that will serve as a cultural gathering place for exchanging knowledge and news about the banjo.

BIOS

Marc Fields is a writer/producer/director of arts and cultural documentaries and the winner of five regional Emmys. He wrote the scripts for two episodes of the six-part PBS series BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL and was series producer for State of the Arts, a weekly arts magazine on New Jersey Public Television. His previous work includes writing and producing Willie the Lion, a musical biography of the forgotten jazz giant Willie the Lion Smith. He is an associate professor at Emerson College.

Tony Trischka is one of the most influential banjo players in the roots music world. For more than 35 years, his stylings have inspired an entire generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians. Ranked among the very best pickers, Tony is also one of the instrument’s top teachers. His best-selling instructional materials are known world-wide and he is now heading the Academy of Bluegrass and School of Banjo interactive websites. Tony earned a 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association award for Banjo Player of the Year. His 2008 CD Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular was nominated for a Grammy®, and his latest critically acclaimed Rounder Records release, Territory, won the Independent Music Awards Album of the Year. Currently working on his next album, Tony also produced Steve Martin’s most recent CD, Rare Bird Alert.

Steve Martin, the multi-talented Grammy-® and Emmy Award-winning actor/comedian/musician and bestselling author, has proven his star power as one of the most diversified performers in the entertainment industry today. Martin is a recognized member of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Notable film credits include “The Jerk,” “Roxanne,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Father of the Bride,” “Sgt. Bilko,” “Bowfinger,” “Cheaper By The Dozen,” “Shopgirl,” (the screenplay to which he adapted from his bestselling novella of the same name), and “The Pink Panther.” This fall he can be seen in Fox's "The Big Year" opposite Owen Wilson and Jack Black. In 2008 Martin released his New York Times Bestseller autobiography Born Standing Up which chronicles his early years as a stand-up comic. Martin has experienced a successful foray into the music world with the release of his bluegrass albums, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo and Rare Bird Alert.

Funding for GIVE ME THE BANJO has been provided by the Southern Humanities Media Fund, The Tides Foundation, Mass Humanities, Innovative Films and Deering Banjos.

ABOUT UNC-TV

UNC-TV is North Carolina’s 12-station statewide public television network, bringing life-changing television to more than four million viewers a week. UNC-TV is a service of the University of North Carolina, made possible by a unique combination of public investment and private support.

ABOUT PBS ARTS FALL FESTIVAL

As part of its commitment to increase every American’s access to and participation in the arts, PBS kicks off the multi-platform PBS Arts Fall Festival October 14th. Anchored by Friday night broadcasts, the Fall Festival features artists and performances from nine communities across the country and celebrity hosts from each locale. With full-length performances; local mini-documentaries of arts scenes around the country; backstage access through interviews; artist and performer profiles; online immersive exhibits; and classroom resources, the PBS Arts Fall Festival entertains and inspires consumers by offering a front-row seat to the creativity, culture, history and scope of the arts. Funding for the launch of PBS Arts Fall Festival has been provided by Anne Ray Charitable Trust, public television viewers and PBS.

For images and additional up-to-date information on this and other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom at pbs.org/pressroom.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Many thanks for posting that info.Scott .Shortly after i posted this thread,i received an e-mail from a UK journalist who writes on Bluegrass music matters,Richard Thompson.He tells me that there will be a DVD of the program released in April next year - i'm twitchin' already !!,:grin:
Ivan~:>

[Willie Poole]

Ivan, Did Mr. Thompson say if that DVD would be just on the banjo segments or cover the whole spectrum? There are quite a few others that will run along with the banjo show...I think the whole thing will take some time....I guess they will offer DVD`s for each segment....I`ll have to check on that, not interested in the other parts myself....

Richard also sent me an e mail telling me some of the info...Thanks for passing along my e mail address to him, I didn`t know he is a writer though or where he is located....I made a new friend today and that always makes my day complete....

Willie

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Willie - I think that Richard Thompson was referring only to the Banjo part only. I'm sure that's the first part of what seems to be a complete series.
Richard's been around Bluegrass a long time & he's a handy guy to know,
Ivan;)
http://bluegrasstoday.com/blog/author/richard-thompson/

[Michael Eck]

It's a great film. Banjo pickers will love it, but Fields also uses the story of the instrument as any opportunity to examine our cultural history through music.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'm going to have to wait 6 months to be able to buy the DVD - that's going to be a loooooooooong time !!,
Ivan:(

[farmerjones]

That's only half a title.

[catmandu2]

...but Fields also uses the story of the instrument as any opportunity to examine our cultural history through music.

Inevitable, considering the indigenous status of the instrument and its significance in American (and UK) music.