Banjo Builders
How the Series Came to Be
The Series — Music — People — History — Culture — Joy
I’ve always been fascinated with the banjo. Thanks to the internet, I’ve found many others that share my interest (over 100,000 at banjohangout.com). Whenever I meet creative, innovative builders and players of this historic, joyful instrument, I’m compelled to learn more about them. So I started off with 38 Banjo Builders. But there are many more!
As a player, I’ve always wanted to learn what makes a great banjo. In having conversations with Builders, I could also learn what it is that makes them so passionate about this instrument. So as a 60th birthday present to myself, I gave myself permission to do just that.
In May of 2011, I drove eastward for 19 days, intent on capturing the images, thoughts and sounds of 14 of the 38 Banjo Builders I’d selected to include in my first documentary adventure. Volume 1 – Banjo Builders East of the Mississippi (shipped in August of ’11). In October of 2011 and March of 2012, I traveled West and picked up the West Coast Builders – 11 more. Volume 2 shipped in May (2012). Along the way I won a $10k grant from the state of Minnesota, so Volume 3 – Conversations with Banjo Historians was produced in the fall of ’12 and shipped in January 2013. And in December of ’13, Volume 4 – More Conversations with North American Banjo Builders was filmed. I was on fire! These stories were so interesting, I couldn’t stop filming!
Also along the way, I received a phone call from Daniel Sheehy, then Director of Smithsonian Folkways. He was delighted with the stories and histories my films captured and expressed an interest in starting a new Smithsonian Folkways Film Collection to house the Banjo Builder series for posterity. I immediately agreed. In 2014, the archives of the first 4 Volumes of Conversations with North American Banjo Builders were permanently donated.
Follow the course of the Banjo Builder project as it happened. Before it was archived, this Banjo Hangout thread received over 130,000 views.
Volume 1
Banjo Builders East of the Mississippi
Volume 1 includes the stories of Bill Rickard, Jason Burns, Jeff Menzies, Greg Galbreath, Pete Ross, Bart Reiter, Lo Gordon & Tim Gardner, George Wunderlich, Mike Ramsey, Will Fielding, Chuck Lee, Kevin Enoch, Doug Unger and Jim Hartel.
Volume 1 includes the stories of Bill Rickard, Jason Burns, Jeff Menzies, Greg Galbreath, Pete Ross, Bart Reiter, Lo Gordon & Tim Gardner, George Wunderlich, Mike Ramsey, Will Fielding, Chuck Lee, Kevin Enoch, Doug Unger and Jim Hartel.
Free Streaming of
the Teaser Film
Smithsonian Folkways is now home to the Banjo Builder series. Below are short preview clips or teaser films (1–3 minutes each) of each builder. Find a favorite and click on the their pic for a sample of that builder’s Conversation.
Buy the DVD
$30 + Shipping
Smithsonian Folkways is not yet streaming the Banjo Builder series. However, you can still purchase copies of the DVDs. Click on the link to the SF Banjo Builder page for ordering information. In the meantime enjoy meeting the builders via the teaser films.
Volume 2
Banjo Builders West of the Mississippi
Volume 2 includes the stories of John Bowlin, Greg Deering, Bob Flesher, Patrick “Doc” Huff, Brooks Masten, Jason Mogi, Chuck Ogsbury, Mark Platin, Jason and Pharis Romero, Bob Thornburg, Colin Vance and Banjo Hangout Founder Eric Schlange.
Volume 2 includes the stories of John Bowlin, Greg Deering, Bob Flesher, Patrick “Doc” Huff, Brooks Masten, Jason Mogi, Chuck Ogsbury, Mark Platin, Jason and Pharis Romero, Bob Thornburg, Colin Vance and Banjo Hangout Founder Eric Schlange.
Free Streaming of
the Teaser Film
Smithsonian Folkways is now home to the Banjo Builder series. Below are short preview clips or teaser films (1–3 minutes each) of each builder. Find a favorite and click on the their pic for a sample of that builder’s Conversation.
Buy the DVD
$30 + Shipping
Smithsonian Folkways is not yet streaming the Banjo Builder series. However, you can still purchase copies of the DVDs. Click on the link to the SF Banjo Builder page for ordering information. In the meantime enjoy meeting the builders via the teaser films.
Volume 3
Conversations with Banjo Historians
Volume 3 includes the stories of Greg Adams, Laurent Dubois, Peter Szego and Friends Banjo Collection Tour, Bob Winans, Bob Carlin, CeCe Conway, Jim Bollman Banjo Collection Tour, Kevin Fore, Ulf Jagfors, Taj Mahal, Dwight Diller, Adam Hurt,
The Tombigbee River / Gum Tree Canoe Music Video.
Volume 3 includes the stories of Greg Adams, Laurent Dubois, Peter Szego and Friends Banjo Collection Tour, Bob Winans, Bob Carlin, CeCe Conway, Jim Bollman Banjo Collection Tour, Kevin Fore, Ulf Jagfors, Taj Mahal, Dwight Diller, Adam Hurt,
The Tombigbee River / Gum Tree Canoe Music Video.
Free Streaming of
the Teaser Film
Smithsonian Folkways is now home to the Banjo Builder series. Below are short preview clips or teaser films (1–3 minutes each) of each builder. Find a favorite and click on the their pic for a sample of that builder’s Conversation.
Buy the DVD
$30 + Shipping
Smithsonian Folkways is not yet streaming the Banjo Builder series. However, you can still purchase copies of the DVDs. Click on the link to the SF Banjo Builder page for ordering information. In the meantime enjoy meeting the builders via the teaser films.
Volume 4
More North American Banjo Builders
Volume 4 includes the stories of Patrick Heavner, Jeff Delfield, Jeff Kramer, Randy Cordle, David Ball, Glenn Carson, Mac Traynham, Luke Mercier, Ken LeVan, Dan Knowles, Noel Booth and Wyatt Fawley.
Volume 4 includes the stories of Patrick Heavner, Jeff Delfield, Jeff Kramer, Randy Cordle, David Ball, Glenn Carson, Mac Traynham, Luke Mercier, Ken LeVan, Dan Knowles, Noel Booth and Wyatt Fawley.
Free Streaming of
the Teaser Film
Smithsonian Folkways is now home to the Banjo Builder series. Below are short preview clips or teaser films (1–3 minutes each) of each builder. Find a favorite and click on the their pic for a sample of that builder’s Conversation.
Buy the DVD
$30 + Shipping
Smithsonian Folkways is not yet streaming the Banjo Builder series. However, you can still purchase copies of the DVDs. Click on the link to the SF Banjo Builder page for ordering information. In the meantime enjoy meeting the builders via the teaser films.
