I saw O Brother again this weekend in the theater and then went home and spent more time with the web sites. Both the movie and the soundtrack web sites have a lot more info on the performers than I had dug into previously, but nothing on those only credited in the movie. I guess now that it's out on video we'll have the opportunity to actuall READ the credits...

And yeah, the music was great, I've never denied that! I'm anxiously awaiting Songcatcher, though (since that material is even closer to my heart). Heard from someone that they saw a "coming soon" poster at a theater in town.

Roger, I'm confident of the black influence on Appalachian music, and certainly on the banjo. But, does Taj Mahal usually play clawhammer? And are the blues appropriate? (and remember, I'm only going on the publicity info about his playing in the movie, where they describe "claw hammer" playing and a "totally new thing". !)(and I know there's a whole cd of black banjo stuff, and a recent book by Ceclia Conway, out there that I haven't heard and should...) There is a wonderful 1963 recording of Dave Thompson of Sugar Grove, North Carolina, on Folk-Legacy's recent "Songs of Tradtion" cd. Frank Proffitt led them to him... His performance sounds in no way bluesey (though it's not clawhammer either). Sample size of 1, of course.

But, ultimately, my point in starting this thread is to enlarge the already too long list of stuff I should be listening to, so I'm still looking for specific suggestions on contemporary performers...

~ Becky in Tucson