The Librarian and The Banjo

The inspiring true story of Dena Epstein, a music librarian who "wrote the book" on slave music, proving that Africans brought to the New World carried a rich musical culture, including an instrument that evolved into the banjo.

Mrs. Epstein labored 25 years to document the musical contributions of African slaves to the New World. Her work, now considered classic, shattered legends and myths, proved that the banjo was a slave instrument, and sparked a remarkable revival of black string ban music.

Features: the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bela Fleck, Eric Weissberg, Tony Trishchka and many other banjo scholars and musicians.

Accompanied by a banjo soundtrack of many styles played on the full range of historical banjo instruments.

Anyone with an interest in banjo music, American music history, libraries and librarians, will enjoy this film.

The full DVD with bonus chapters on gourd banjos, minstrel banjos, African slave abductions, and the use of the banjo in music education, is available for mail order at www.jimcarrier.com/librarian.

You may watch the trailer, and two bonus tracks free here on Youtube, at these links:
Movie Trailer:    • The Librarian and The Banjo Trailer  
Minstrel Banjo:    • Minstrel Banjo - A window to the slave ori...  
Gourd Banjos:    • Gourd banjos with Clarke Buehling, Scott D...  
Banjo school:    • Oakland Public Conservatory of Music