Steve Martin, a banjo and RBR

[Jinkii3]

first funny thing he has done since the Jerk, (excluding the Scientologist mocking Bowfinger of course)

[krimskrams]

@Jinkii3 it's ironic when you think that steve martin, his fellow banjo picking friend tony trischka (as seen on television performing the crow) and many other players pick and endorse deering banjos of san diegeo, a company founded and run by scientologists...

[blpadge2]

Second only to the master Earl Scruggs when it comes to scruffing off "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". If Steve had been raised in Texas instead California who knows where he might have gone.

[vampireringo15]

steve martin you are a wild and crazy guy you are the greatest from the hillbillie  express check use out on you tube

[P00P0STER0US]

The sound guy must have been harried, the mic was actually just fine for me :oD But then, comedy takes its own way.

[bkbj95]

look what a banjer

[667mumble]

Wouldn't it be great if he returned to stand-up?

[Gossage54]

@667mumble He'll never return to stand up..I wish he would but he turned his back on stand up and will never return again. It's too bad.

[krimskrams]

@Gossage54

so now he combines or rather in corporates it with his musical career ;)

[Elmagnifico37]

Consumate performer Steve. Reminds me of his bit about the blue spot on his "Wild and Crazy Guy" album.

[Mi37591]

Albom is  such an ASSHOLE.. ARROGANT DICKHEAD.

[SheWhoBlesses]

Wow, Steve was actually pretty frustrated there...

[jhmoonman]

Love it! Fantastic banjo player,that Steve Martin is!!!!

[mrstawnee]

I love Steve Martin!

[Dancing88Mike]

Awesome!

[Silvercrimson995]

Steve rocks!

[nasty5oh]

Turn the banjo UP !

[andrewshere]

Bloody Hell ! First I discover Bruce Willis singing a real mean blues, now Steve Martin tearing it up real good on the banjo. You gotta love YouTube, doncha? Anyone else, Arnold Schwarzenneger on flute or anything like that?

[dandesantismusic]

Steve Martin rips the Banjo, AND he's a wild and crazy guy! ;-)

[fopneus]

This is not the song we rehearsed..... you can't stop though....!!

Just pee'd my pants :D

[critchley3819]

this man is multi talanted. and one of the best

[Greenbeatriver]

I think these four friends have spent big moments for 4 minutes!

[BigFishingShop]

Ha ha ha , he manages to blare the banjo yet :-0

[hawtt1234]

does anyone know what song this is??? btw I love it!!!!

[requie]

The song is called Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

[kody912]

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

[LeonardBanjo]

EXCELLENT ENTERTAINER/ACTOR [2]

[gutgolf74]

"I'm in the middle? There is no middle!!"

[andu1337]

i love how steve started playing banjo duel in the beginning :DDD

[Lucky13TJG]

I prefer him as a banjo player than a comedian :D

[cad0024]

The guy just makes you laugh or smile what ever he is doing. One of the best entertainers going!!

[thecraicrules]

great! everyone knows steve martin as a comedian, but even as a banjo player he's worth a lot

[JazzySaxE]

hes awsome

[GoneShootinBoardsIe]

"may i see your license ;D"

[NightingaleHMP]

EXCELLENT...brilliant entertainer/actor, master of 'ad-lib' and a fantastic banjo player too! I found myself smiling all the way through that clip, why on earth are people so unkind to this guy hes skilled and sincere...and dammed funny too!

Thank you for sharing this video.

[jmpamp]

If you think he is off you are absolutely crazy!!!!! Off his rocker maybe, but missing beats, or off time, you can go suck it!

[Sundevilhp29]

I love the man, and his comedic/banjo skills, but he did get off as soon as he came in after he was holding the mic. he just starting going way too fast. He played DAMN good... but just too fast.

[FURI3S]

I asked someone who might know a little about banko picking named Randy Scruggs about Steve Martin and his playing. Randy said that not only is he a great player but he takes his playing very seriously. You all can say what you want about this performance but I think I will go with Randys expert opinion; after all Randy and his Daddy aint to bad themselves....

[beencybouncyburger]

Looking at your channel, I can see that banjo is a main interest, and you lay claim to some level of expertise. I mean not to offend, but merely point out that the man's not just some schlub, but rather a singer/songwriter of some talent who did a great deal to popularize folk in America at large.

[beencybouncyburger]

It's a group of popular people having fun playing together. As to him being severely out of time, I just don't see it. Just because his rendition of Foggy Mountain Breakdown isn't perfectly identical in technical respects to Doc Watson doesn't mean it's "wrong", that's missing the spirit of folk.

Why did you put Byrds in quotes, anyway? You've honestly never heard of them, or you're being derogatory? As to sticking with them, they've been disbanded since 1973 with 2/5 of the originals dead.

[bigmrclean]

This guy is LOST...This further proves a point that bluegrass music takes so much talent and able to play that its crazy. This guy isn't even CLOSE! He's not in time or even playing the same song! If u cant hear that u dont have a music ear or ur deaf one. I've played foggy mpuntain breakdown only about 450,000 times so I could be wrong.

[beencybouncyburger]

Ok, he's off and doing his own thing when he shouldn't be; I just thought you were overreacting a little. I can understand, though, there are some songs that I can't deal with covers on at all, and for you, it's probably like fingernails on a chalkboard. It's related to why Clarence White played lead in the latter day Byrds, I suspect, McGuinn's a better writer and arranger than fast-picker (no argument there).

[bigmrclean]

be probably like if someone in bluegrass tried to go pick with the byrds back in the day...it wouldn't be a pretty site...lol. I was just stating my opinion also, wasn't calling you a liar or anything and I see you u understand that. A lof of people cant have a grown conversation like we just did and will resort to arguing, cursing and acting like an idiot. Appreciate it..maturity means a lot.

[PacificBanjo]

LOL! I love it when he drags the mic in close. All you can gear after that is the twang of the banjo!

[Stinkyjig]

hello, how are you?

[HannibalLecterFreak2]

that really made my day haha Steve is the BEST!!

[MtnMichael]

Steve has been playing banjo for years. Listen to his early stand-up (70's). He has several numbers he does with it. He's also a great author penning a multitude of books. Yes, he does it all.

[BlameItOnThePenguin]

Woah, Steve Martin? Actor AND banjo player? What else does he do? o.O

I <3 the banjo :)

[waddleduckie1]

Steve Martin is truly a man with many talents!

[3heards]

Wow... How come he's so good at everything? If anyone knows ask him to save some talent for the rest of us!

[MaynardOwns]

i need to learn that last little peice of this song...that ultimate hillbilly banjo lick so bad

[banjoist123]

The whole band, The Rock Bottom Remainders, was/is: Steven King, rythm guitar Matt Groening, cowbell Dave Barry, co-lead guitar Amy Tan, Remainderette Scott Turow, vocals Mitch Albom, keyboards Ridley Pearson, bass Greg Iles, co-lead guitar Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Remainderette Roy Blount, Jr., vocals James McBride, sax I believe that's Amy Tan sitting on the left at the start of this clip.

[ShockRide]

THANK YOU for listing the band members. I really got a kick out of that

[bigmrclean]

That guitar player is terrible....Sheez...sorry steve

[krimskrams]

which one are you referring to and why? i don't think it was that bad

[beencybouncyburger]

I hope the "guitar player is terrible" remark was in jest, that's freaking Roger McGuinn of the Byrds!

[bigmrclean]

I dont care if his name is chet adkins of the jubilee 5, the feller aint no bluegrass picker, he needs to stick with his "byrds" cuz someone like doc watson will make his head spin. He's outta time and misses half the licks and notes thats suppose to be in foggy mountain breakdown.

[beencybouncyburger]

Look up the video of him performing with Ear Scruggs to see that he's not as bad as you think. He's not Doc Watson, but the setup here does not do him justice either; I'm blaming this one on the recording tech. It's a 12 string and doesn't sound like one, the paired strings sound slurred together. The banjo was able to cut through because it's a lot sharper. In addition, this is not a professional group by any means, but you're judging them on a professional basis. Why?

[bigmrclean]

ok i'll check it out. I've been playing music for 20 years, about every stringed instrument there is, of course I know who the byrds are. If you can't hear him outta time, and theres no different rendition, u either play foggy mountain breakdown or u dont. Dont insult earl by trying to play a different melody. If u cant hear it i cant explain it, If you dont have an ear for music then its not something u will hear. I hear every note and beat, always have and THAT was Horrible! My opinion.

[empiremonkey]

Martin has been playing banjo twice as long as you. I'm just sayin'....

[bigmrclean]

noone said anything about steve martin. We were talking about the guitar player. Steve is an awesome banjer picker, has been for years.

[empiremonkey]

Oh! Sorry.

[bigmrclean]

That's ok!

[dreadnought45]

The Dueling Banjos they fiddled with before playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown was originaly recorded as Feud'n Banjos around 1955 by Don Reno and Arthur Smith, both on banjos. It was feature in the movie Deliverance as Duelling Banjos by Eric Weisberg for which he was sued for plagiarism and had to pay royalities.

Ken, Toronto

[Bobby61557]

Thanks Tattle Tale hahahah J/k

[dreadnought45]

To B00yabrad: Thanks, you're right. It is Weisberg. Sorry for the misspell.

Ken, Toronto

[BubbaCoop]

Is that Dave Barry?

[delznope]

Total Package. Steve martin.

[sparkers70]

Steve is a genius! Damned good banjo player too!

[NSResponder]

Check out his books sometime. He's a talented writer.

-jcr

[nWoHiTmEn316]

hahaha

steve martins

rules

[dreadnought45]

To russianMadMan: The fiddling around was Dueling Banjos which was first recorded and made famous in 1955 by Don Reno and Arthur Smith both on banjos. It was plagiarized by Eric Weinberg for the movie Deliverance by which he was later sued and had to pay royalties.

[B00yabrad]

that's eric weisberg, actually

[highdchoolband15]

what was the first song they were just fiddling with at the beginning?

[RussianMadMan]

Dueling Banjos...

also by Lester and Earle

[krammit69]

I don't care what mood you're in when you hear that you just smile

[vclubamp]

ha ha ha... i have an old Peanuts cartoon that says the same thing! Linus thought that every baby should be issued a banjo at birth.

[35mm35]

Laughing out loud here in California.

[Prawninator]

lol, laughing out loud here in Singapore, too! :D

[35mm35]

Can I get a few chuckles from Tokyo? Bluegrass is big there.

[pegcage]

Was it Steve that said When you are playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown you can't be sad? That is so right. That is the way Scruggs style picking and bluegrass make you feel! Joyous!

[wolfen624]

Steve Martin is a very terrific banjo player.

[froochie123]

I just checked out about 5 vids and you're absolutely right, he's f'n terrific.

[dumdledore]

I think the problem was that they didnt have any monitors, so Steve couldn't hear that the sound was fine.

[iplaybanjer]

what kind of banjo is he using?

[carteru93]

Prewar Gibson Florentine Ball Bearing banjo with the ball bearings taken out and only the hoop.

[kotounski]

he recently has been playing a Kel Kroydon Custom Model 11 Banjo. This one is a Gibson though.

[wilfredsnipple]

Whew doggie! Now that's some mighty fine pickin!

[jdnutt8907]

steve martin rocks.

[bonniherself]

Steve Martin has a Grammy Award for banjo work he did. He's very good, and he's been playing for decades. He's being silly and cutting up a bit here, but he's a fine banjoist, regardless of also being a comedian and an actor.

His big joke is that the reason he didn't go into professional music was because there's a phrase you never, ever hears, and that is, "Hey, look at the banjo player's Porche!" (He said that on David Letterman, I believe.) :)

[1366andy]

STEVE MARTIN!!!!!!!!WOW!!!!!!!!!Cant beleive it was him. What a great talented man.....

[thegreatactor]

"let me just moive this and was will go hunting in the wood".

[empiremonkey]

THe sound guy probably went deaf around 3:14

[banjobum]

Steve Martin is the man!  What a talented guy.

[pinthias]

orgazmic.

I love playin' banjo

[bigpat47]

Didn't know Steve played banjo, I'm looking to take it up after 32 years of guitar playing, a seriously inspirational video!

[youngsinfo]

wow- really nice!

[tomnorman457]

Great musicianship! Hard to tell with the hat on, but isn't that Jim/Roger McGuinn (of Byrds fame) on the 12-string?

[mjcpaul]

you are correct... i can see enough of his face to tell... and everytime i see him now a days he has that exact hat on...

[Sweemanz]

FUNNY and goood!

[HeathsGyrrrl]

Where is this clip from? Where was it taken?

[shrams23]

Fair enough, I can see that. Congrats on your picking endeavors.

[shrams23]

Carnell, over 30 years of teaching and playing doesn't give you any kind of clout to dismiss the career choices of an extremely intelligent, funny and talented artist. He's one of the reasons I decided to start playing Banjo. How many people can say that about you? I don't recall seeing you seeing you onstage with Tony Trishka, Bela Fleck or Earl Scruggs. "Plugged into bluegrass" give me a break.

[carnell60]

Despite the fact that I'm not a famous comedian, or celebrity like SM, in the last 30 years I have had the chance to play, on stage and off with the following people. Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Sam Bush, Alan Munde, Del McCourey, Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck (a 45 minute jam at a festival), Vince Gill, Roland White, Jimmy Martin, Bobby Osborne, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Tony Rice, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, Pete Wernick, and, oh yeah....Tony Trishka.

[shrams23]

Good for you, do those guys spend time on you tube bashing Steve Martin for not being a master picker?

[carnell60]

I didn't bash SM, and I never said he wasn't a good picker. I simply pointed out two things, 1) If SM wasn't already famous, he wouldn't be considered a top picker (though he is very good) 2) SM, IMHO, has unwittingly helped to further the hokey, buffoonery image of the banjo. I didn't say SM was a bufoon, however.

[gibsonbanjo96]

Hilarious

[carnell60]

More od SM making a mockery of the banjo. He's not even that great in my opinion. He's a banjo buffoon artist!!!

[johnedoe22]

Really? And your credentials on the Banjo are? Do you realize that SM has been playing for over 40 years. Have you ever heard "The Crow" written by SM.

[sillyrabbit13]

You're assuming that I have zero experience on the banjo. How does over thirty years playing and teaching experience add up for you, not to mention touring with several bluegrass bands, and the current one I am no in? This isn't so much about how great a player SM is, but rather he has used his banjo (of which he can play fairly well)as a comic prop, used for his comedic acts. If her were NOT a famous comedian, most people plugged into bluegrass would say, "Yeah, he's a an okay picker."

[carnell60]

sorry about that johndoe22, I thought I was signed in on my own account, but it appears I wrote the response below under my son's account name by accident.

[johnedoe22]

I thought SM just used the banjo as a prop for his comedy but I heard him outside of SNL and saw him in a different light. He loves the banjo. He admits it has been part of his comedy. But his famous comedian status has shown some folks (watching David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres) that the the Banjo is a fabulous instrument and SM is a multi-talented individual. I appreciate your feedback and I am really glad your are contributing to Bluegrass Music through playing and teaching.

[GYMMYT]

Most people don't even know Steve Martin can play the banjo. How is it a mockery? Were all the old minstrel players making a mokery of the banjo? Lighten up, it's a happy instrument, and he makes people happy when he plays it, what's wrong with that?

[carteru93]

That was great LOL.

[jodiecoston]

Huh. You guys can actually play. Impressive (and funny...)