Give Me the Banjo Page #18

---

FOR THE BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY THA SOMEONE WAS PLAYING THAT WAY.

FOR THE BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY THA SOMEONE WAS PLAYING THAT WAY.

Martin:
BILL KEITH GREW UP

SOMEONE WAS PLAYING THAT WAY.

Martin:
BILL KEITH GREW UP

IN BOSTON IN THE LATE 1940s

Martin:
BILL KEITH GREW UP

IN BOSTON IN THE LATE 1940s

AND FIRST LEARNED TO PLAY

IN BOSTON IN THE LATE 1940s

AND FIRST LEARNED TO PLAY

THE FIVE-STRING USING

AND FIRST LEARNED TO PLAY

THE FIVE-STRING USING

PETE SEEGER'S MANUAL.

THE FIVE-STRING USING

PETE SEEGER'S MANUAL.

IN 1963, HE BECAME THE FIRS PETE SEEGER'S MANUAL.

IN 1963, HE BECAME THE FIRS NORTHERN BANJO PLAYER THA IN 1963, HE BECAME THE FIRS NORTHERN BANJO PLAYER THA BILL MONROE ASKED TO JOIN

NORTHERN BANJO PLAYER THA BILL MONROE ASKED TO JOIN

THE BLUEGRASS BOYS.

I WORKED WITH BILL MONROE

FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR,

AND I LEARNED SOMETHING

EVERY DAY.

PEOPLE SEEMED TO LIKE WHA I DID.

I MEAN, I'D HEAR ABOU I DID.

I MEAN, I'D HEAR ABOU "THAT YANKEE," BUT IT WAS NO I MEAN, I'D HEAR ABOU "THAT YANKEE," BUT IT WAS NO WITH THE "DAMN"

"THAT YANKEE," BUT IT WAS NO WITH THE "DAMN"

IN FRONT OF IT.

WITH THE "DAMN"

IN FRONT OF IT.

[ LAUGHS ]

Martin:
THE EUREKA MOMEN FOR KEITH CAME IN 1958 WHEN HE

HEARD A FIDDLE PLAYER FROM

FOR KEITH CAME IN 1958 WHEN HE

HEARD A FIDDLE PLAYER FROM

NOVA SCOTIA PLAYING THE SONG

HEARD A FIDDLE PLAYER FROM

NOVA SCOTIA PLAYING THE SONG

"DEVIL'S DREAM."

NOVA SCOTIA PLAYING THE SONG

"DEVIL'S DREAM."

HE IMMEDIATELY GRASPED HOW HE

"DEVIL'S DREAM."

HE IMMEDIATELY GRASPED HOW HE

COULD PUT THE FIDDLE'S MELODIC

HE IMMEDIATELY GRASPED HOW HE

COULD PUT THE FIDDLE'S MELODIC

LINE ON THE BANJO WITH MATCHING

COULD PUT THE FIDDLE'S MELODIC

LINE ON THE BANJO WITH MATCHING

SPEED AND FLUIDITY.

LINE ON THE BANJO WITH MATCHING

SPEED AND FLUIDITY.

OTHERS WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING

SPEED AND FLUIDITY.

OTHERS WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING

A SIMILAR TECHNIQUE, BUT KEITH'S

OTHERS WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING

A SIMILAR TECHNIQUE, BUT KEITH'S

SHOWCASE WITH MONROE ESTABLISHED

A SIMILAR TECHNIQUE, BUT KEITH'S

SHOWCASE WITH MONROE ESTABLISHED

THE MELODIC STYLE FOR THE BANJO.

SO THIS BLEW DOWN THE BARN

DOORS OF WHAT YOU COULD DO ON

THE BANJO.

UP TILL THEN, PEOPLE ARE PLAYING

SCRUGGS STYLE OR THEY WERE

PLAYING SINGLE-STRING STYLE.

NO ONE HAD REALLY THOUGHT,

AT LEAST IN A MASS WAY,

TO PLAY THE SO-CALLED MELODIC OR

FIDDLE-TUNE STYLE.

1, 2, 3...

Martin:
SYRACUSE NATIVE

TONY TRISCHKA CAME OF AGE

IN THE 1960s AND BELIEVED THERE

TONY TRISCHKA CAME OF AGE

IN THE 1960s AND BELIEVED THERE

WERE NO LIMITS TO WHAT KIND OF

IN THE 1960s AND BELIEVED THERE

WERE NO LIMITS TO WHAT KIND OF

MUSIC THE BANJO COULD PLAY.

WERE NO LIMITS TO WHAT KIND OF

MUSIC THE BANJO COULD PLAY.

TRISCHKA POINTS TO THE BEATLES,

MUSIC THE BANJO COULD PLAY.

TRISCHKA POINTS TO THE BEATLES,

MILES DAVIS, AND AARON COPLAND

TRISCHKA POINTS TO THE BEATLES,

MILES DAVIS, AND AARON COPLAND

AS FORMATIVE INFLUENCES.

MILES DAVIS, AND AARON COPLAND

AS FORMATIVE INFLUENCES.

I THINK THE MAIN THING THA AS FORMATIVE INFLUENCES.

I THINK THE MAIN THING THA INFORMED MY SENSIBILITY WAS JUS I THINK THE MAIN THING THA INFORMED MY SENSIBILITY WAS JUS THIS ATTITUDE THAT WAS PREVALEN INFORMED MY SENSIBILITY WAS JUS THIS ATTITUDE THAT WAS PREVALEN IN THE LATER '60s --

THIS ATTITUDE THAT WAS PREVALEN IN THE LATER '60s --

YOU KNOW, LET'S BREAK DOWN

IN THE LATER '60s --

YOU KNOW, LET'S BREAK DOWN

BARRIERS.

YOU KNOW, LET'S BREAK DOWN

BARRIERS.

ANYTHING CAN BE DONE.

BARRIERS.

ANYTHING CAN BE DONE.

YOU KNOW, IF I WANT TO THROW

ANYTHING CAN BE DONE.

YOU KNOW, IF I WANT TO THROW

A SAXOPHONE ON THIS TUNE,

YOU KNOW, IF I WANT TO THROW

A SAXOPHONE ON THIS TUNE,

I CAN DO THAT.

A SAXOPHONE ON THIS TUNE,

I CAN DO THAT.

IF I WANT TO HAVE A SYNTHESIZER,

I CAN DO THAT.

IF I WANT TO HAVE A SYNTHESIZER,

IF I WANT TO HAVE CRAZY CHORDS,

IF I WANT TO HAVE A SYNTHESIZER,

IF I WANT TO HAVE CRAZY CHORDS,

WHATEVER IT WAS, LET'S TAKE

IF I WANT TO HAVE CRAZY CHORDS,

WHATEVER IT WAS, LET'S TAKE

SOME CHANCES.

WHATEVER IT WAS, LET'S TAKE

SOME CHANCES.

AND WITH BLUEGRASS, THAT WAS

SOME CHANCES.

AND WITH BLUEGRASS, THAT WAS

EASY TO DO BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH

AND WITH BLUEGRASS, THAT WAS

EASY TO DO BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH

A LOT HAD BEEN DONE, THERE WAS

EASY TO DO BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH

A LOT HAD BEEN DONE, THERE WAS

STILL SO MUCH THAT COULD BE

A LOT HAD BEEN DONE, THERE WAS

STILL SO MUCH THAT COULD BE

DONE WITH IT.

I THINK AT ALL TIMES I'M

AWARE OF HOW LUCKY I AM TO GE TO BE PLAYING WITH TONY.

HE'S SUCH AN ADVENTUROUS PLAYER

THAT, BEING ON STAGE WITH HIM,

I FIND MYSELF MAYBE APPROACHING

THE INSTRUMENT KIND OF WITH

MORE OF HIS SPIRIT, WHICH IS

MAYBE JUST THIS --

HE'S JUST FEARLESS.

[ APPLSE ]

THANK YOU.

Martin:
IT'S BEEN SAID THA THE DEEPER YOU DIG INTO ANY

LOCAL TRADITION, THE MORE YOU

THE DEEPER YOU DIG INTO ANY

LOCAL TRADITION, THE MORE YOU

FIND SOMETHING GLOBAL.

THE SPARROW QUARTET IS

A STRING CHAMBER ENSEMBLE,

BUILT AROUND THE TWIN BANJOS OF

A STRING CHAMBER ENSEMBLE,

BUILT AROUND THE TWIN BANJOS OF

ABIGAIL WASHBURN

BUILT AROUND THE TWIN BANJOS OF

ABIGAIL WASHBURN

AND BELA FLECK.

ABIGAIL WASHBURN

AND BELA FLECK.

IT WAS WASHBURN'S EXPERIENCE IN

AND BELA FLECK.

IT WAS WASHBURN'S EXPERIENCE IN

CHINA THAT LED HER TO TAKE UP

IT WAS WASHBURN'S EXPERIENCE IN

CHINA THAT LED HER TO TAKE UP

AMERICA'S QUINTESSENTIAL

CHINA THAT LED HER TO TAKE UP

AMERICA'S QUINTESSENTIAL

INSTRUMENT.

AMERICA'S QUINTESSENTIAL

INSTRUMENT.

[ SINGING IN CHINESE LANGUAGE ]

BECAUSE I LEARNED ABOU THE BANJO AS A RESULT OF BEING

A FOREIGNER IN CHINA AND WANTING

SOMETHING ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE

THAT I COULD LOVE SO MUCH,

I THINK WHEN I STARTED PLAYING

THE BANJO, IT WAS REALLY FOR

THE PURPOSE OF SOOTHING MY SOUL

AND MAKING ME FEEL MORE

AMERICAN.

Martin:
IN THEIR HANDS,

THE BANJO CONTINUES ITS LONG

HISTORY AS A PLACE FOR

THE BANJO CONTINUES ITS LONG

HISTORY AS A PLACE FOR

EXCHANGES,

HISTORY AS A PLACE FOR

EXCHANGES,

FINDING COMMON GROUND ACROSS

EXCHANGES,

FINDING COMMON GROUND ACROSS

COMMUNITIES, CULTURES, REGIONS,

FINDING COMMON GROUND ACROSS

COMMUNITIES, CULTURES, REGIONS,

AND EVEN ERAS.

COMMUNITIES, CULTURES, REGIONS,

AND EVEN ERAS.

[ SINGING IN CHINESE LANGUAGE ]

BLUEGRASS MAGAZINES ARE

CALLING ME HOLLYWOOD'S

AMBASSADOR OF THE BANJO.

CALLING ME HOLLYWOOD'S

AMBASSADOR OF THE BANJO.

[ APPLAUSE ]

AMBASSADOR OF THE BANJO.

[ APPLAUSE ]

THAT'S RIGHT, IT WAS...

[ APPLAUSE ]

THAT'S RIGHT, IT WAS...

IT WAS BETWEEN ME

THAT'S RIGHT, IT WAS...

IT WAS BETWEEN ME

AND ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.

1, 2, 3, 4...

Martin:
I ALWAYS FELT THA THE SOUND OF THE BANJO SEEMS

TO BE IN MANY AMERICANS' DNA.

THE SOUND OF THE BANJO SEEMS

TO BE IN MANY AMERICANS' DNA.

THAT IT WAS SOMEHOW PART OF

TO BE IN MANY AMERICANS' DNA.

THAT IT WAS SOMEHOW PART OF

OUR HISTORY, OUR GENETIC

THAT IT WAS SOMEHOW PART OF

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes