Steve Martin

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jackiemac

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Whilst in Vegas we took the opportunity to go see Steve Martin and Martin Short which was a great show. I didn't realise Steve plays the banjo and appears with a band called the Steep Canyon Rangers.

They played this song live, it was pretty incredible!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DJT6cB2CtmA&feature=youtu.be
 
I saw Steve Martin in 1978 at the Universal Amphitheater in LA. The Blue Brothers were the opening act. He played the banjo that night too. One of the all time great comedians. :))
 
He's written a slew of good books.  Born Standing Up sheds light on how he came to be what he is.  Talented guy!  My favorite movies are Leap of Faith and 3 Amigos.  Oh, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and..... the list goes on.
 
No list is complete without my all time Steve Martin favorite ?The Jerk?.

The bango has been part of his act since the very early stand up days.
 
Impresssive. Wish I could play my banjo that well  :-[
 
We saw them last weekend in Des Moines. I knew Steve Martin was a good banjo player, but I didnt realize how good a singer that Martin Short is.  I was a great show!
 
Paul Revere is one of my favorite songs of his.  We've seen him in concert with the Steep Canyon Rangers and with Martin Short. We enjoy his music concerts with the Steep Canyon Rangers more than when he does the comedy tour with Martin Short.

Just downright great Bluegrass.

Here is an early version of "Paul Revere" done live at The Loft several years ago. There's an intro but it's worth the wait:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKx71BPFNIE

Here's a song with Dolly Parton off "The Crow": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj6EJ9lOlWw
 
I watched the clips referenced above and I was impressed. Then I clicked on one of the preview videos on the right hand edge for Noam Pikely and Steve Martin doing Dualing Banjos on Letterman. They actually play it on two banjos. This is interesting because the hit record is not two banjos it is a banjo and a guitar. Anyway it is hysterically funny since Steve is suppose to play whatever Noam plays and after a few simple bits Noam goes all out all over the fretboard and when he finally stops the look on Steve's face is priceless.

https://youtu.be/9VuZ0SVc8uI
 
Steve does play the banjo very well, to say the least. I've seen him on a handful of TV shows, and he does great.

This is interesting because the hit record is not two banjos it is a banjo and a guitar.

That depends on which "hit record." About Dueling Banjos, from Wikipedia:

The song was composed in 1955 by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos," which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle." Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by five-string bluegrass banjo player Don Reno.

Don played a mean lick, too -- his son Ronnie is still in show biz, mostly bluegrass, but plays the mandolin and guitar, not the banjo. I watch him from time to time on RFD TV.

But I agree, Tom, that I've mostly heard it with a banjo and a guitar (including by Don Reno and Red Smiley), rarely matching the name.
 
I just find it bizarre that there is a hit record called Dueling Banjos and it is not two banjos. What were they thinking? I said the 'hit record'. The one by Smith was not a hit, it was not even released as a single.
 
one of my favorites comedy skits was Steve Martin and Paul Simon singing "Silver Bells"
 

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