Banjo Kazooie.

No..not a mildly obese bear with a fit bird for a friend, but a news story that caught my eye. I'm not really that transverse in the world of folk or country blues and not often do i take much interest (even though i should, some of it's pretty good). Bela Fleck is one example of those 'pretty good' artists and the main interest of this post is his latest album 'Throw down Your Heart' recorded straight from several African villages in a sort of impromptu jam session with locals. I never knew but the banjo originated from instruments brought over in the slave trade and still today there are practising tribe musicians with similar looking and sounding string instruments. A few are highlighted in this photo slideshow narrated by Bela himself. They've even made a documentary but because it's only being screened in film festivals across the US, I think I'll be left to check out the CD.