Bluesman Otis Taylor sheds new light on the historical roots of the banjo that are much deeper than the American folk and bluegrass traditions with which it is commonly associated. Originating in Africa (the ngoni of West Africa) it made its way to America with the African slaves as early as the 1700s. Recapturing the Banjo, features riveting performances by Taylor along with some of the most accomplished banjo players on the current blues/roots music scene: Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keb' Mo' and Don Vappie - a group that collectively boasts an impressive array of Grammy Awards, Handy Awards, Blues Music Awards and numerous other accolades. "I wanted to make an album that was historically significant," says Taylor, "but at the same time, I didn't want to make a record that that was too academic. It's not a history lesson that needs to be pushed in anyone's face. We just wanted to reconnect the music back to the people who brought it here in the first place." "Otis Taylor is a singular talent...innovative yet traditional and able to demonstrate the blues' apparently endless ability to reconstitute and rejuvenate itself in a way that links old and new, Africa and America, in an intercontinental union of the spirit" - The Independent Personnel: Otis Taylor - (vocals, banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, percussion), Guy Davis - (banjo, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Corey Harris - (banjo, vocals), Alvin Youngblood Hart - (banjo, lap steel, guitars, vocals), Keb' Mo' - (banjo, vocals, bass), Don Vappie - (banjo, vocals), Cassie Taylor - (bass, vocals), Ron Miles - (cornet), Kevin Moore Jr. - (drums)