Beyoncé's surprise new country album has kicked open the saloon doors to a new audience. While this may not be Beyoncé's ...

The instrument was made for Paul Tyler’s 1989-1990 banjo exhibit held at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Minstrel banjo, 1847. This fretless pre-Civil War-era banjo utilizes an ...

Among the great banjo builders in the U.S. is James Hartel of Hartel Banjos, (Franklin, NY) maker of authentic minstrel banjos based on designs from 19th century American minstrelsy. Four ...

Minstrel banjo maker Jim Hartel reveals another side of this distinctive instrument, pursuing a tradition rooted in American slave instruments brought from West Africa. Photos by Madison Metro.

The song begins with a solo riff from Giddens on the minstrel banjo. Giddens, 46, was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and now lives in Co Limerick. She is also the artist-in-residence at the ...