Hobart Smith, Saltville VA (1897-1965)
fast/clean/unique clawhammer banjo playing (as well as fiddle, 3 finger guitar, and piano playing)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobart_Smith
https://clawhammermasters.net/hobart-smith/
The albums that I am aware of:are:
Hobart Smith of Saltville VA - Folk Legacy CD17 (LP issued 1964)
https://open.spotify.com/album/13jOkohPNkWv0Ra1YXiuIe
https://folkways.si.edu/hobart-smith/hobart-smith-of-saltville-virginia
Good liner notes, but the booklet in the In Sacred Trust CD is more extensive). You can download the liner notes at the Folkways site - get the LP liner notes (the CD liner notes only has the track listings)
Hobart Smith - Blue Ridge Legacy (Alan Lomax collection) Rounder CD 11661-1799-2
Recorded 1942–1963 by Alan Lomax
https://open.spotify.com/album/0RwFVSCICmXAVsE11uCsvl
https://www.culturalequity.org/album/hobart-smith-blue-ridge-legacy
All of the Lomax recordings are freely available to listen to (but not very well organized - just a blast of audio clips...) at
https://archive.culturalequity.org
In Sacred Trust" The 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes Smithsonian Folkways SFW_40141
great liner notes (80 pg booklet) though unfortunately not downloadable.
If you get only one recording, I nominate this. Informal home recording, but good recording quality and lots of tracks (so a good overview of his repertoire). Includes tab for Last Chance and another unique tab/tuning Wasbash Blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e5u392T1Po), which Bruce Molsky has taught in his banjo workshops.
He also appears on some anthologies:
Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians: Banjo, fiddle, guitar, dulcimer and harmonica
Tradition TLP_1007 (LP) 1956 - probably available as CD
this was a budget label (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition_Records), and this recording was one of the few resources of old time music available when I first started, so it is cited in the discography of some of the books published in the 60's/early 70's like Art Rosenbaum's 1st book and the John Burke book) - besides Hobart Smith, it also included Etta Baker and some lesser known folks.
Southern Journey (13 volume series of Alan Lomax field recordings from the late 50's, originally issued as LP's, then reissued on CD by Rounder)
https://www.culturalequity.org/rounder-records/southern-journey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Journey
and probably other anthologies.