Stelling Banjo Anthology (Rebel, 2005)
Various Artists
Reviewed by Kevin Oliver
This collection isn't a true anthology as it features new recordings rather than archival performances, but it does serve as a nice showcase for the various generations of Stelling banjos. The CD booklet includes large pictures of all of the vintage Stelling banjos used in this project, including Don Reno's Golden Cross banjo from 1976 and a gorgeous scrimshaw called the Bird Of Prey, with a hawk pictured on the resonator.
Geoff Stelling himself plays on two tracks here, including his own composition, "Riding The Stelling." Former Jimmy Martin sidemen Allen Munde, Chris Warner, and Bill Emerson also appear throughout the twenty-one instrumental tracks, which range from original tunes to banjo-centric arrangements of traditional numbers like, "John Henry."
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