It’s been great to see the tremendous interest in Steve Martin’s upcoming banjo CD within the overlapping banjo and bluegrass communities.

Martin has been a banjo picker since before he made it big, first as a comedian and later as a film actor, author and playwright. When I was first learning to play banjo in the mid-1970s, Martin’s comedy act was in its hey day. Though he used the banjo primarily as a prop in his show, he always played seriously and gave the old five string a renewed visibility in the pop culture.

The final (December 2008) online issue of Bluegrassnow.com had a lengthy article about the CD, written by IBMA’s Nancy Cardwell. She takes us into the studio while the CD, The Crow, was being recorded, talks with producer John McEuen, and reports on the goings on when she was there.

“John McEuen invited me over to the studio for a couple of days in October, when he and Steve were in town to work on the record. Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Earl & Gary Scruggs, Stuart Duncan and Jerry Douglas were there, also.

The songs I heard so far are great–looking forward to hearing the whole CD soon.”

Nancy also provides a good bit of background on Steve’s discovery of the banjo, which he did along with McEuen, a childhood friend.

John and Steve met each other the summer before their senior year at Garden Gate High School. “We used to play chess every lunch period,” John said. “There wasn’t a whole lot to the conversation other than ‚Äòcheck’ and ‚Äòcheckmate.’ I think I said ‚Äòcheckmate’ more often,” he added, laughing. “We worked at Disneyland and sometimes would play chess by telephone, from two different stores, when business was slow.” (more…)

Michael Martin Murphey carved his name in pop music granite back in 1975 when his Blue Sky, Night Thunder album was released on Epic Records.

That record contained his two biggest hits, Wildfire and Carolina In The Pines, the latter of which featured the banjo and mandolin prominently (by John McEuen, then with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). It played a major role in igniting the folk/rock movement in the 1970s, as well as a revival of interest in acoustic and traditional music among young people at that time.

Carolina In The Pines quickly worked its way into the bluegrass repertoire, and has since been recorded dozens of times by bluegrass acts.

Now, 34 years after that song made its mark on bluegrass, Michael is returning the favor, and is set to release his first all-bluegrass album on February 10, 2009 (Rural Rhythm Records). Buckaroo Blue Grass will combine his current focus on cowboy and western themes with a red hot roster of bluegrass pickers – Sam Bush, Rob Ickes, Ronnie McCoury, Andy Leftwich, Pat Flynn, Charlie Cushman, and Rhonda Vincent.

The songs are all Murphey originals and include some of his top hits (Carolina In The Pines, Fiddlin’ Man, Lost River) plus a couple he wrote that were cut by other artists (The Monkee’s What Am I Doing Hangin Around and John Denver’s Boy From The Country).

Michael debuted his bluegrass sound during the 2008 IBMA Fan Fest in Nashville and he will be touring with a bluegrass band in support of Buckaroo Blue Grass in 2009.

We will be doing an interview with Murphey shortly, and look forward to hearing how he found himself cutting a bluegrass record. In the meantime, here is a sample from one of the tracks, Lone Cowboy.

Listen now:

That song, along with a newly rerecorded version of Carolina In The Pines, shipped to bluegrass radio this week on a Rural Rhthm radio sampler. You should be hearing them soon on your favorite radio shows.

We made note late last year of the fact that comedian, actor and banjo player Steve Martin was preparing to record an album of serious banjo music.

The recording has been completed, produced by fellow banjo man John McEuen, with assistance from Tony Trischka and Pete Wernick. Helping out in the studio were Russ Barenberg on guitar, Matt Flinner on mandolin and Brittany Haas on fiddle, among others. New Martin compositions are the foucs, performed in both 3 finger and clawhammer styles.

We’ve not been able to find out yet whether a label is involved, or when the CD might be released. Steve is vacationing now in Greece, but we are hopeful of obtaining an interview upon his return.

We did reach producer John McEuen, who shared a number of thoughts about working with Martin in the studio.

“Steve’s playing was really good. Driving, yet sensitive when needed. This album will amaze many because it will show people that Steve takes his music as seriously as he does his other work and performs it at that level. Steve has written some of my favorite banjo tunes. I think after the release of Steve’s new album a couple of tunes might become standard fare for new pickers.

There was one time, during the opening of one song, where Steve had to play the exact same notes and rhythm as Russ Barenburg was playing on guitar, with just the two instruments opening. Well, Steve was rushing ahead of the guitar and Tony Trischka was a little concerned. Steve needs to lock with the guitar and he’s ahead. How do we get him to do that?

Knowing Steve was accustomed to taking direction and since I had the mantle of producer, I hit the talkback and said ‘Steve …. you’re ahead of the guitar!!!! You’re rushing!! It seems like you can’t wait for the tune to start. So, listen and do exactly what Russ is doing.’

Steve said, ‘Oh!! OK.’

In the middle of the next pass which was the take we kept, Tony Trischka and I looked at each and said at the same time with reference to Steve ‘I wish I could do that.’ (more…)

I don’t know how many of our readers still watch Sesame Street, but maybe you’ve got some kids, or grandkids, who do. I just discovered that the Sesame Street label released a DVD earlier this summer featuring several bluegrass and country artists.

The DVD is entitled Kids’ Favorite Country Songs, and contains all the makings of a musically good time. Sesame Street perennial favorites, Elmo and Elmer, lead the way to a country jamboree featuring both Alison Krauss and John McEuen, along with a number of country music stars.

While John plays his banjo and sings Oh Susannah, he’s accompanied by an assortment of barnyard animals. He commented that he enjoyed the filming of the DVD and had a great time,

playing the banjo with about 50 goats, a cow and about 15 kids running around.

He went on to say that as a musician you are always wondering when you’ve reached the pinnacle of your career. Now he knows.

When Elmo introduces you, you know you’ve arrived.

In addition to McEuen and Krauss’ contributions, country stars, Johnny Cash, the Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and super star Garth Brooks, all take part in the festivities.