Folk Instrumentals

Though Marshall Brickman would later become known as the Oscar winning co-screenwriter of Annie Hall, his former University of Wisconsin classmate Eric Weissberg knew him as a formidable banjo player. This track demonstrates the seldom used banjo add-on Scruggs Pegs that allows re-tuning two strings on the fly. The album was later released on Warner Bros Records with the added track Dueling Banjos as the (faux) soundtrack to Deliverance — and it went gold! Is there no shame?

While there are many stunning examples of the claw-hammer and frailing banjo styles on the album, this track by New Lost City Ramblers founding member John Cohen, is distinguished by technique that is at once crisp, confident, aggressive and just plain fun.

Predating much of John Fahey’s and Leo Kotke’s work, Dick Rosmini dazzled aspiring folk musicians and set a standard for dexterity and craft that has been challenged but rarely bested. This little gem was his signature piece.