Black Banjo Gathering



	About Black Banjo Then and Now Black Banjo Then and Now (originally Black Banjo Players Now and Then) was founded in March, 2004 as an online list group in Yahoo. We unite Black banjo with scholars, pickers, lovers, and builders of the banjo and related instrument concerned with preserving the heritage of past Black banjo players and encouraging contemporary Black banjo players. Black Banjo Then and Now includes African American banjoists who play old time music, classic banjo, blues, bluegrass, jazz and funk, as well as other banjoists, fiddlers, percussionists, and scholars. We have revived interest in historic Black banjoists such as Horace Weston, the great classic banjo player, Elmer Snowden, Danny Barker, and many other four string jazz banjoists, Dink Roberts, Odell Thompson, and Josh Thomas, other great Appalachian banjoists. We also began to call attention to the work of the growing number of contemporary Black recording artists playing banjo such as Taj Mahal, Otis Taylor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris Don Vappie, the Ebony Hillbillies, and Guy Davis. We’ve also injected a strong new voice into discussions in the banjo and old time music communities about both the historical influences and importance of Black heritage to the banjo and old time music. We’ve explained how the largely white banjo and old time music communities do not serve Black agendas. However, our greatest concern is not external beyond our people. We seek to return the Banjo to its proper place in the history and culture of our people. We seek to encourage Black expression on the banjo, and Black people’s appreciation of our instrument. You are welcome to join and participate. All are welcome whether or not you are Black or a banjo player. If you are interested, go to http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BlackBanjo/ to join. The Gathering \| About the Banjo \| About the Group \| How to Assist Back Home Black Banjo Then & Now Gathering Copyright 2004-5 Black Banjo: Then & Now; All rights reserved. No portion of this page may be reproduced by any means without expressed written consent of Black Banjo: Then & Now unless explicit permission is granted within the text of the page. Site designed and implemented by rhidesign using HTML.