Backroads and Banjos heads north to check out the music of Newfoundland, the easternmost province in Canada. Though this maritime province has been host to a whole world of influence, its music is overwhelmingly influenced by Scottish Gaelic sounds. Selec

Art celebrates the life of Georgias own blues great Precious Bryant. Born in Talbot county in 1942, Bryant learned music at an early age starting on ukulele at age four until her father gave her a Silvertone from Sears and Roebuck at age 10. In 1967, she

Art celebrates the life of Georgias own blues great Precious Bryant. Born in Talbot county in 1942, Bryant learned music at an early age starting on ukulele at age four until her father gave her a Silvertone from Sears and Roebuck at age 10. In 1967, she

Art welcomes old-timey banjo player and singer Frank Lee in to play some tunes with the Georgia Crackers. A resident of Bryson City in North Carolina, Frank has extensively studied the traditions and songs from all over the south. Songs included in this s

Art celebrates the arrival of 2013 with songs commemorating two very important events from January 1863. First, of course, is the emancipation proclamation. Each year, many African-American churches celebrate the arrival of a new year with a Watch Night w

Art closes the year with a memorial to the great Earl Scruggs. Scruggs is perhaps the most innovated and imitated banjo player in the history of bluegrass music. Having played with Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, and his own bands throughout the years, Scruggs

Art goes down to the bayou to explore the sounds of the Balfa Brothers. One of the first Cajun bands to tour outside the Southeast, the Balfa Brothers became well-known and well-liked for the authentic telling of traditional Cajun styles from the early 19

Doc Watson was one of the true legends in old-timey and bluegrass music history. A great interpreter of songs, Doc Watson always managed to pay great respect to the songs he played but also made them entirely his own. Originally a rockabilly and country l

In this episode, Art takes the listener inside the mind of a field recorder and introduces the term shotgun collecting. Unlike going somewhere to record a specific artist, shotgun collecting is the term used for going to a town or village and asking aroun

Art examines the origins and telling of the song Omie Wise, one of the earliest known murder ballads. This tune is based on the true story of the murder of Little Omie Wise by a man named John Lewis in the mountains of North Carolina. Featured versions of