Otis Taylor has had an affinity for the banjo since the '60s, but it wasn't until some recent research that he discovered how closely it was tied to black culture.

"When you read the history, you wonder, 'What happened?' " he said about the instrument now more associated with white country musicians than its African roots.

"It all started before the minstrel period, when whites were doing the black man's music," said Taylor, who collects vintage instruments.

Banjos had been a mainstay in Africa since the 1500s. "Minstrel banjos, really old banjos - they came over in the 1700s. They were (playing banjos in Africa) for 150 years before that, but people don't know that."

So Taylor has launched a project, Recapturing the Banjo, where he and others redefine the instrument. Despite a release a year away and many licensing issues to clear up, the project has buzz after he previewed it recently.

"What I heard at Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis (in late February), that was about as revolutionary as anything since the MC5 in its own way," said rock critic Dave Marsh. "A real visionary thing to do, and done with such intensity and integrity - really only Otis could have pulled it together.

"What is the name, though? Recapturing the Banjo? I keep thinking of it more bluntly - Taking Back the Banjo."

Recapturing the Banjo

• What: a CD, taken from various recording sessions, that pays tribute to the banjo's origin

• Who: Performers include Otis Taylor, Keb' Mo', Alvin Youngblood Hart, Don Battie, Guy Davis and Corey Harris.

• Due out: 2008