Bob Carlin, born March 17, 1953, in New York City, is an American old-time banjo player and singer. He began his career performing primarily in the clawhammer style of banjo. In the early stages of his music journey, he explored the African roots of the banjo by collaborating with Malian musician Cheick Hamala Diabate and elder African American fiddler Joe Thompson. Carlin's first notable tour was a six-year stint with John Hartford across the United States, Canada, and Japan. Carlin has released several albums including Banging & Sawing (1985), The Fun of Open Discussion (1995), and Mr. Spaceman (1997). He is also known for his work as a record producer and co-authored the book Southern Exposure: The Story of Southern Music in Pictures and Words with his brother Richard Carlin. Carlin has won three Frets Magazine readers' poll awards and released several instruction manuals and videos for the banjo.
