Art takes a trip down to the Bahamas and looks at a 1965 from Nonesuch records called “The Real Bahamas.” Although most of the Bahama islands are no further than 200 miles from the Florida coast, most of the music from the Bahamas remained a mystery until the mid-1960s when field recorder Jody Stecher took a trip to the islands to discover a whole new world of music. Much like Alan Lomax’s recordings from the 1930s, these recordings showed a culture influenced not only by Spanish and African culture, but also by American blues and work songs.

Art takes a look at the most famous family in traditional folk history, The Carter Family. Art plays three songs from The Original Carter Family’s first recordings including “Single Girl, Married Girl” and “John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man” and provides some insight into the players who were and just as importantly weren’t present for the session.

To celebrate the centennial of his birth, Art takes a look at the life, music and myth of Robert Johnson. While most writings and common knowledge state that Robert Johnson was a great innovator of …

This episode of Backroads & Banjos serves as a memorial to the recently passed Helen Myers McDuffie. A long time friend of Art’s, McDuffie was one of the last remaining players in the old-timey tradition in the North Georgia and North Carolina mountains. As a member of the Myers Sisters, Helen spent years with her sisters Margie and Maggie sharing the songs taught to her by her father. Helen Myers McDuffie passed at the age of 92 on October 3, 2011.

This episode of Backroads & Banjos serves as a memorial for the recently deceased old-time banjo player and singer Wade Mainer. Often considered the “Grandfather of Bluegrass,” Mainer managed to bridge the gap between bluegrass and old-time mountain music with his groups Mainer’s Mountaineers, the Smilin’ Rangers and with his wife of more than 50 years Julia. Mainer passed on September 12, 2011 at the age of 104.

This episode of Backroads & Banjos veers a little away from the usual subject matter to present Yiddish songs from a new 3-disc box set called Cantors, Klezmorim, and Crooners 1905-1953. This collection was gathered from around 9,000 78rpm records and many of these tunes have never been widely issued. As a special treat, Art plays a selection he learned from his grandmother who was part of a Yiddish choir that regularly performed at Carnegie Hall.