Among the great banjo builders in the U.S. is James Hartel of Hartel Banjos, (Franklin, NY) maker of authentic minstrel banjos based on designs from 19th century American minstrelsy. Four ...

In 1843, Emmett began performing the prototypical minstrel show format. It included four men — one on banjo, one on fiddle, one on tambourine, and one on bones. The show mixed music with ...