Martin hails 'secret' bluegrass world

Steve Martin has hailed the "secret world" of bluegrass and spoken about his reasons for playing the banjo.

The actor and comedian released The Crow: New Songs for The Five-String Banjo, an album featuring guest appearances from Dolly Parton and Earl Scruggs, earlier this year.

He told The Guardian: "It's a secret world. It's a big world, but it's thin. And it doesn't make the news, which is actually fantastic."

Talking about his earlier days on stage with the instrument, he added: "I needed everything. I did jokes, I did juggling, I did magic. I put the banjo in just to fill time, so I'd have enough to call it a show."

Martin's banjo-playing was featured on the 1981 album The Steve Martin Brothers, which was reissued on CD in 2006.