Abigail Washburn (clawhammer banjo, singer/songwriter) and her husband Bela Fleck, with a medley of 3 tunes, Sally in the Garden / Big Country / Molly Put the Kettle On:
 

 
Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWIfFIEeZjw

In order for me to listen to the banjo, it has to be good.

That was better than good.

That's what skill, combined with talent, sounds like.

And I love her smile.

At the urging of a banjo-playing friend of mine (who, along with his guitar-playing wife, played at my wedding), we went to see a Bela Fleck contemporary, Tony Trishka. What an outstanding concert!

Those who think banjo playing is just a plinky-plinky thing should watch Fleck, Trishka and other masters of the instrument.

 
Every time I open this thread I listen to the whole trilogy again. Sally in the Garden was one of the first tunes I learned on my banjo (many, many years ago). Along with Blackberry Blossom those were my two favorites. I played Abigail's style. Her drop thumbing technique is flawless and she makes it look effortless, so much so you hardly even notice it.
 
You hardly ever see Clawhammer and 3 finger picking styles played together. But Bela has taken the Scruggs model so far beyond traditional bluegrass that he can blend it well with her.

Thanks Henry, that was great! I’m thinking that the banjo is my favorite plucked instrument. Not counting the harpsichord, which is mechanically plucked.

Really enjoyed that. Thanks for posting!

Wow. That's some pickin'. I've got some Bela Fleck and the Flecktones around here somewhere; might have to dig it out.

And, yeah, her smiles and the way she gets into it...kind of charming.

I once saw Bela Fleck and Tony Trishka together. Each showed off his own bag of tricks and then they played back and forth challenges. Each had their own styles, you could not say one was "better" than the other.

Beautiful. Thanks HenryAZ.

Here is an interview of the two of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5LeYKLhk6Q

 
One thing that has always struck me about the clawhammer style is the ever-present sound of the 5th string (the drone string) that gives the banjo its "ring". The style has the thumb constantly bouncing off the 5th string.