I don't believe Twain played the banjo, but he certainly loved banjo music, probably as a direct result of the traveling minstrel shows he saw in Hannibal, during the period when the minstrel show was a national craze, and the banjo, having crossed racial lines through the efforts of a southerner, Joel Sweeney, became its instrumental backbone. There's a Twain quote regarding banjo music, something to the effect, "Give me the banjo," which is commonly seen on banjo sites, e.g., banjohut.com, and Twain was a fan of Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette (sic), featuring four African-Americans and Polk Miller, who played clawhammer-style banjo, pre-dating bluegrass, "Scruggs-style" playing. Twain said "I think that Polk Miller, and his wonderful four, is the only thing this country can furnish that is originally and utterly American." If you're interested in listening to this music, just as Twain would have, a CD of the original recordings is
available through www.tompkinssquare. com
I'm not sure that this answers your question, but the price is right.
Martin Zehr
Kansas City, Missouri
________________________________
From: Robert E Stewart <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, February 8, 2013 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: Mark Twain, banjo player?
In the Feb. 2, 1863 atricle in which the name Mark Twain first appears,
the article concludes with the writer playing the piano. I can't speak to
the banjo, but he did claim some musical talent in that writing.
Bob Stewart
In a message dated 2/8/2013 4:36:47 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
I can't remember ever hearing that [Sam Clemens] played the banjo. Just
recently a
friend lent me his copy of a Mark Twain edition in 1929 which included an
article by Cyril Clemens talking about visiting the Gilles family in our
California foothills. I'd love to hear that it is TRUE Mark Twain played
the banjo. Can any of you confirm or deny this story? It is the bass
voice and the banjo playing that has me interested.
Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine April 1929
Founded by Bret Harte in 1868; and Mark Twain Number Vol 87 April 1929 No.
4
Article by Cyril Clemens: "A Visit to Mark Twain's Country"
.
Arianne Laidlaw
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