I didn't know banjo had been away. I have enjoyed banjo music for a multiplicity of decades!!!! Love to hear clawhammer (any variant of it). Bluegrass too.

I've noticed that clawhammer banjo players are doing more "serious" folk music. When I was young, The banjo player was the band comic (of sorts) and played mostly novelty songs. Lately I've heard several singers doing a kind of bluesy folk ballads on banjo. Sounds great. Tom