Banjoes, Fiddles & Riverboats: John Hartford and the General Jackson

Catfish Blues

No other place in the world has a romance with American bluegrass like the Czech Republic. Banjo Romantika introduces the musicians who play this unique bluegrass hybrid. Czechs first heard bluegrass during World War II when the Armed Forces Network broadcast American music for soldiers. The music represented freedom to dissatisfied Czechs living in a communist state. Czechs' love for the music was solidified when Pete Seeger visited and performed in 1964. Inspired by classic American bluegrass sounds, an assortment of musicians from across the formerly communist Czech Republic have melded the past, the political and the present into a lively musical tradition entirely its own.

The life and times of The Carter Family, one of the earliest and most-influential group in American country and roots music.

Short film about an express steamer

No single figure in American music so dominated a genre as did Bill Monroe with bluegrass. BILL MONROE: FATHER OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC features performances by Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys, Lester Flatt, Emmylou Harris, Paul McCartney, the Osborne Brothers, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, John Hartford and a once-in-a-lifetime Blue Grass Boys reunion featuring Del McCoury, Chubby Wise and Bill Keith. The film features archival footage and rare 1990s performances from Monroe's final years including many of the greatest songs from his six decades of recording.

Eleven time Fiddler of the Year and even a Grammy nominee, but that's just part of the story. Though born with disabilities that left him blind and partially deaf, Michael Cleveland is considered by many to be the greatest fiddler of all time.

Sheltered beauty Magnolia Hawkes takes over as the leading lady on a Mississippi riverboat show when mixed-race Julie and her white husband are forced out of town by a prejudiced sheriff. Charismatic opportunist Gaylord Ravenal wins Magnolia's heart, but his gambling losses threaten to ruin their chances for a happy marriage.

Fronted by one of the most accomplished banjo players of his time, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are captured live in concert on Live at the Quick. The versatile band performs just over a dozen songs including such radically different compositions as "Amazing Grace," "Big Country," "Hoedown," and the prelude from a Bach violin concerto.

The legendary Colorado-based folk band Elephant Revival is known for their ethereal harmonies, incredible musicality, and haunting sound. And after a four-year hiatus, they reunited in 2023 and graced the stage of Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2024 – one of the most beautiful places in the world.

ECHOES OF THE HEART IS THE FIRST SHORT FILM OF ECHOES TRILOGY THAT FOLLOWS SOUHAIL'S MUSIC PASSION IN PLAYING OUD IN A SMALL CITY.

Jerry Garcia, legendary lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead and David Grisman, virtuoso mandolinist and founder of "Dawg" music… Now, for the first time ever, the musical matrimony and extraordinary friendship of Garcia and Grisman is traced in the award-winning documentary Grateful Dawg.

Humorist Roy Blount Jr. takes viewers on a journey down the Mississippi River, showcasing everything from areas with spectacularly beautiful scenery to ugly and dangerously polluted stretches bordered by industrial development.

Bill Gaither and bluegrass expert Marty Stuart trace the history of mountain and country music with the help of the Homecoming Friends and legendary artists from the bluegrass field. Joining the Isaacs, the Lewis Family, the Easters and other Homecoming Friends are Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Marty Raybon, Del McCoury and others in the first ever Bluegrass Homecoming video!

Greensky Bluegrass took the stage to perform live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sunday September 15th, 2019 for a magically unforgettable evening. Billy Strings opened the event with his legendary flatpicking skills, then later returned to the stage to join the headliners during their set for a second round.

Recorded over two evenings, April 29th and 30th 2002, at the Louisville Palace in Louisville, Kentucky this set manages to combine both great playing and great sound. Union Station's core members, Dan Tyminsky on guitar, mando, and baritone vocals, Ron Block on banjo, guitar, and tenor vocals, and Barry Bales on acoustic bass, are joined by Jerry Douglas on dobro and Larry Atamanuik on drums.

Beautiful Thing is a year in the life of Larry Keel. The film follows Larry and The Larry Keel Experience as they canvas from coast to coast, playing night after night in search of bigger and better crowds during 2002. Audiences range from a handful of disengaged people to standing ovations at world-renowned bluegrass festivals. Larry Keel remains somewhat obscure to audiences because his style, his interpretation of bluegrass and roots music is so personal that it is almost impossible to define, and subsequently, it is almost impossible to market. So Larry battles on, night after night, city after city, slowly generating a following of true believers, fans who sit and stare and smile in awe of this beautiful thing. Beautiful Thing is a glimpse into the life and spirit of a true artist, during his many tours and performances of 2002.

In 2010, The Carolina Chocolate Drops stunned the music world, taking home the Traditional Folk Album Grammy for their debut album, Genuine Negro Jig. Founded in 2005 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the old-time string band members included Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson, who were all inspired by the work of black fiddler Joe Thompson. As the documentary charts the band’s sudden rise, it also looks at the influence of their mentor, Thompson, and the African origins of the banjo.

Charles Hickson is the only Abductee that Johnny Carson ever booked, and he was shocked by the story of the Pascagoula Alien Abductions and its aftermath. Enjoy an exclusive look at the most baffling Alien Abduction ever investigated.

Star Power shines in this collection of live video recordings by some of bluegrass music's biggest names. Any fan can tell you that bluegrass music is best when experienced live. The DVD features legendary artists, the Osborne Brothers, Reno & Smiley, Chubby Wise, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, and the Coon Creek Girls in front of live audiences. A full hour of live & studio recordings.

Longtime fans of bluegrass music and those only recently discovering it will appreciate this documentary on the genre, which was born of a combination of African and Celtic sounds and is the base of American country music. This film traces the musical form from its Appalachian roots to the present. The rise, fall, and consistent revival of bluegrass chronicled through oral history and visual record, resulting in a priceless film that even casual fans are sure to enjoy.