To Hear Your Banjo Play.

Subject: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 09 Sep 14 - 03:51 AM

Having just read Edward Renehan's excellent book "Pete Seeger vs. The Un-Americans" I thought that I would watch the film "To Hear Your Banjo Play" again. Although Texas Gladden is named as one of the performers, others are not named. It is quite clear that it is Horton Barker singing "Wonderous Love", but am I right in thinking that the banjo-player seen early on in the film is Dan Tate? It is hard to make out his face because of the large hat that he is wearing, but it certainly reminds me of Dan. Later on there is a fiddle & banjo duet playing "Arkansas Traveller" for an elderly dancer. I don't recognise either player, so, can anybody help with their names?

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 04:46 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 09:59 AM

Sorry,no, I can't help you with the names. But where did you see the film?

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: maeve
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 10:18 AM

leeneia- One place to hear and see the film is here: "To Hear Your Banjo Sing"

Mike Yates- I searched for a couple of hours to see if I could find any mention of other participants in the film, but to no avail. People like Art Thieme, Lisa Null, Stringsinger, as well as other performers here with long associations with others of that caliber, might well be able to help identify some- have you thought of contacting specific Mudcat members directly to alert them to this thread?

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 01:00 PM

Sorry Maeve, but nothing happens when I click your direction. I have a copy of the film on the box set "The Little Red Box of Protest Songs" (Properbox 147) and Hoot tells me that he has found it elsewhere on-line.

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: maeve
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 01:11 PM

My mistake with the link- so sorry. This link works and has the correct title!:

To Hear Your Banjo Play

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Sep 14 - 06:18 PM

Thanks, Maeve.

Subject: RE: To Hear Your Banjo Play.
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 11 Sep 14 - 04:06 AM

Another reason why I think that the banjo-player could be Dan Tate comes from the fact that Dan once told me of his two friends Pete and Alan who had visited him in the past. I had previously noted that Dan, who was blind, had a rifle standing behind his door and a pistol in his pocket. "Why", I asked, "do you have the guns?" "Well, Mike", Dan replied, "I've heard of the red menace, and if they come over my mountain I'll be ready for them!" I didn't have the heart to tell Dan that the "red menace", in the shape of Pete Seeger and Alan Lomax, had not only been on his mountain, but had actually been in his home!

As to the fiddle & banjo duet,I'm still hoping that somebody will recognise them.