Martin hails 'secret' bluegrass world

WENN

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.