Martin was on British TV (BBC2) on Tuesday night also. He performed on Later Live, and will be on Later…with Jools Holland on Friday (13th) at 11.35 p.m. Video from that appearance will be available online.

Here is a taste of the Guardian review…

Dressed in a grey suit and tie, with his white hair and glasses, Martin looked like a doctor who was about to make an unpleasant prognosis. But instead he began with a barrage of self-deprecating jokes. Once he started playing, it became clear that he could hold his own against his impressive acoustic band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, both through his mastery of the claw-hammer banjo style, and – perhaps more surprisingly – his ability to write strong and varied material influenced by anyone from Scruggs to Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass.

The full review can be found on the broadsheet’s web site.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Steve Martin will co-host this year’s (82nd) Academy Awards (otherwise known as the Oscars).

Martin has been getting a lot of press recently for his banjo playing. He was involved with the 2009 IBMA Awards Show in Nashville, performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers. He has also performed on the most prominent of TV’s late night talk shows.

It is unclear at this point if Steve will break out his banjo at the Academy Awards, but his co-host Alec Baldwin is certainly feeling the pressure.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

The announcement on the Academy’s website includes the following in their brief bio about Steve.

He is currently touring with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his latest album “The Crow:  New Songs for the Five String Banjo.”

Perhaps Steve should receive an official appointment as a bluegrass ambassador?

Headlining is Steep Canyon Rangers, who will be fresh off their US tour with Steve Martin, and hawking their newly-released CD, Deep In The Shade. Rounding out the show will be US old timers Beverly Smith & Carl Jones, and British grassers Toy Hearts.

The tour is intended to be an annual event, which the promoters describe as a first for the European bluegrass scene. In true barn storming fashion, Bluegrass Jamboree will consist of 16 consecutive one-nighters which will hit Berlin, Bonn, Munich, Hamburg and another dozen German cities.

Sophia Johnson of Toy Hearts shared a few words about their participation.

“We are very proud to be involved with this project – which is the first of its kind, to have a touring show of 3 bands doing 15 (?) consecutive nights together. The Headline band the Steep Canyon Rangers are personally one of our favourite groups – they are incredible musicians and who put on a really great show, and as they write their own material, they are a great showcase of the new wave of young, dynamic bands currently coming through in the USA. I think the whole show will have something for any audience member, because of the range of bands, it would be a great introduction for newcomers to Bluegrass as well as featuring enough great picking for the more trained ear!”

Sophia also mentioned that Toy Hearts is set to return to the US in January to record their 3rd CD. David Mayfield of Cadillac Sky is set to produce, and the band is hoping to involve some top Nashville pickers on the new project as well.

Details on the various Bluegrass Jamboree tour stops (December 5-20) can be found online.

The Goodtimes family of banjos are a budget-minded bunch, built by Deering in their shop near San Diego, CA. 12 different models are available, starting at just under $500.

We’re not sure which model(s) will be available at the Steve Martin concerts, or whether they are likely to hold collectible, limited-edition value over time.

You can find all the tour info online.

The song is Saga Of The Old West, one Martin wrote, which is included on his current banjo CD, The Crow. He also performed it with the Rangers on the IBMA Awards Show last Thursday night in Nashville.

The two acts are on tour for the next six weeks or so, with dates across the US, plus stops in Canada and the UK. Find the tour info online.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They are on tour together throughout October to promote Martin’s banjo CD, The Crow, plus the new Rebel release from SCR, Deep In The Shade, which hits tomorrow (10/6).

They will also be featured on Tuesday’s edition of The View, which airs on ABC at 11:00 a.m. (ET – 10:00 a.m. PT/CT).

You can find the show dates for Martin and The Rangers online.

Here’s the Rangers talking about how they hooked up with Steve, and have ended up touring with him in support of CD.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the perfect timing department, the new Steep Canyon Rangers CD, Deep In The Shade will be released on Rebel Records this THursday, October 1.

It will be their second visit to the Opry stage, and banjo picker and primary songwriter Graham Sharp tells us that they will be highlighting material from their upcoming album, Deep In The Shade, due from Rebel on October 6.

“We’ll be doing a couple tunes for the 8:00 segment of this Friday’s Grand Ol’ Opry, probably from the new record. We’ve been doing most of the new songs live and folks seem to really like the direction we’ve taken; I think the tunes are pretty distinctive.

It’s exciting times…  our last Opry appearance, I believe, was one of the last shows Porter Wagoner hosted, so we have some fond memories there and are honored to be returning.”

The 8:00 p.m. Graham mentions is Central time, with the Opry show starting up on WSM at 7:00. Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys and The Whites will also appear on tonight’s show.

Tune in to WSM at 650 AM or online to catch all the evening’s great music.

The project reunites the band with producer Ronnie Bowman and engineer Wyatt Rice with whom they collaborated on their 2007 album, Lovin’ Pretty Women.

Steep Canyon guitarist and lead vocalist Woody Platt tells us that it was a simple choice to go back to the well once again.

“It was great to pick up where we left off after finishing the Lovin’ Pretty Women record. We all had a better sense of what to expect from each other and it was easier to fall into an effective, productive routine. Our group learned so much and gained so much valuable experience the first time around with Ronnie and Wyatt… this session was more loose and spontaneous.”

To my ear, there is a greater maturity to this record, which I have noticed with each successive release from Steep Canyon Rangers -  something you don’t always find with an established, experienced group like this.

Woody seems to feel the same way.

“The new record again features songs written by the band members – mainly Graham Sharp and Charles Humphrey. I think the record has more depth from top to bottom and more diversity than anything we have recorded thus far as Steep Canyon Rangers. Tracks that stand out to me personally are: Have Mercy, I Thought That She Loved Me, Mountains Gonna Sing and Turn up the Bottle. Mountains Gonna Sing features Graham on finger style guitar, and has a different sound for us which I think will appeal to our fans, and maybe to a larger audience that might not be hard core bluegrass fans.”

Copies have not yet gone out to radio, but you should start hearing tracks from Deep In The Shade before much longer.

The guys will spend much of October touring with Steve Martin, in support of his banjo CD The Crow. They typically open the shows and then serve as Martin’s band for his portion of each evening’s entertainment. What a great way to launch a new release!

“We are truly flattered and excited to be playing the tour this fall with Steve. It is great to have the opportunity to play in such wonderful venues and to play Steve’s music. He really is an excellent banjo player and songwriter. The shows we have already played on LA and in NYC were a blast for SCR and went over very well–which I think lead to this upcoming tour.”

Look for Deep In The Shade on October 6, just after IBMA.

Hosted as usual by Garrison Keillor the program will be broadcast live from The Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Also appearing on the program are Martin Sheen, Stuart Duncan and the PHC house band.

Showtime is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (EDT), but many affiliattes air the program at another time. Check the PHC station guide for air times across the country, or listen live online during the live broadcast Saturday at 6:00.

Saturday’s (5/30) edition of The Wall Street Journal contains an interview and concert review of Steve Martin’s May 27 show at the Rubin Museum in New York City with Steep Canyon Rangers.

Martin may have fostered his image as a wild and crazy guy on Saturday Night Live, but he is in fact very serious and thoughtful artist, more given to caution and reflection than impulse and abandon, something that Jim Fusili notes in his WSJ piece:

Supported by the Steep Canyon Rangers, Mr. Martin whipped up rousing bluegrass breakdowns and a cute tune about a boy racing to get to school. But during the best parts of the evening, he offered thoughtful readings of his delicate compositions, which are supple, never morose and rich with unexpected minor chords. By playing with tender restraint, he suggested a counterpoint to his familiar comedic persona. Though his face often was knit with concentration, it also glowed on occasion with tranquility, as if he’d found moments in which he lost himself within his music when expressing its layered emotions.

Unsurprisingly, Martin’s show isn’t afraid to use himself as the butt of a joke, and with enough truth in the bit to ensure that it hits home.

Though he incorporated the banjo into his comedy act as far back as the mid-’60s and originally released five of his compositions that appear on "The Crow" in 1981, on his album "The Steve Martin Brothers," the 70-minute show here was only Mr. Martin’s second full-fledged concert as a banjoist; he played a fund-raiser at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 11. He’s considering a tour, but he told me he’d make a decision after the three-show stand here and two sets Saturday night at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. After the sales bump from "Idol," the concerts fall somewhere between a road test and a labor of love; as he told the audience at the Rubin Museum, "If everything sells out . . . I will only lose $12,000."

You can read the full Journal article online.

The Bluegrass Blog congratulates Steve Martin for the success of his musical endeavors, and hopes to see many more similar efforts. For a man who has had such a powerful impact on comedy, film and stage drama, he deserves kudos for stepping out where his exploits are less well known.

But then, we also knew that his love for the banjo would win out.

Their are links to a few other reviews of the New York shows on the Steep Canyon Rangers web site, including this terrific photo gallery from Ryan Muir.

Why the books blog, you may ask? Well, the show was a benefit for the L.A. Library, and part of their ALOUD series of lectures and arts presentations. The event included an interview with fellow humorist, Dave Barry, and a reception with the artists.

Blog author Carolyn Kellogg nicely conveys the good will and the interest in Martin’s music from a home town crowd.

“I’m very sorry for the late start,” Steve Martin said as he took a seat on stage Monday night. “If I were you, I’d hate me by now.”

Judging by the burst of laughter, I’d say all was forgiven. It was the first time the L.A. Public Library held a fundraiser at downtown’s LA Live entertainment district, and the proceedings were a bit bumpy: VIPs stuck on the sidewalk, all but missing the pre-party; crowds bottlenecked at entryways; that 30-minute show delay. But people had come to see Martin talk and then play banjo, and they weren’t going to let a few snafus ruin the evening.

She concludes with a sentiment that bodes well for Martin’s hope to be seriously considered as a musical artist.

Joining Martin on stage for two songs was his record producer and longtime friend John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who played banjo. Barry, who plays guitar in the rock-band-of-authors the Rock Bottom Remainders, came on stage for the encore, the classic bluegrass tune “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” The performers received two standing ovations.

There isn’t really anybody with Martin’s talents: He can write for page and screen, kill at comedy, play the banjo well enough to accompany Earl Scruggs. If at times some in the audience were slow to shift gears, well, that’s only to be expected. They were clearly all fans, but it’s hard to keep up with Martin. In fact, he set the bar pretty high for the L.A. Public Library ALOUD series at LA Live ‚Äî he’ll be a hard act to follow.

Read the full review online.

The show to benefit Los Angeles Public Library begins at 8:00pm.

Later in the month they will all be appearing at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City for three already sold-out shows May 27 and 28.

According to lead singer and guitarist Woody Platt, the sets will be comprised mostly of songs off of Martin’s much-praised new album The Crow, with the band backing him up. The Steep Canyon Rangers, who have recently finished recording, for their next album (due for release in the Fall), will probably also get the chance to showcase a few of their own tunes at each show.

These dates are not the first that the Rangers and Steve Martin have done together. They first collaborated at the Mountain Song Festival in Brevard, North Carolina, an event the band organizes every year to benefit the local Boys and Girls Club. Martin later made a cameo appearance at a Steep Canyon Rangers’ gig in New York City this past winter.

Platt has this to say about the Steep Canyon Rangers appreciation of Steve Martin’s musical talents ‚Ķ‚Ķ

“Playing music with Steve has been a fun experience and an honor for our band. The music on The Crow is great and we have really enjoyed the challenge of learning his material.”

Meanwhile…

Rounder Records has announced the forthcoming release of a deluxe version of Steve Martin’s CD, The Crow.

This limited edition release, available on June 16, of The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo, will feature three bonus tracks plus a pop-up penguin!

The extra tracks are instrumental versions of Late For School and Calico Train, and The Slow Crow.

The 15 tracks were all recorded and broadcast live during episodes of Goin’ Across The Mountain, which airs on WNCW every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The station’s Studio B is a first class recording facility and the audio quality of these live cuts is superb. The show attracts the very best performers in bluegrass and old time music, and the acts featured on this CD reflect the quality and diversity of music Goin’ Across The Mountain presents.

1. Balsam Range – Julie’s Train
2. Seth Taylor and Danielle Bishop – Washington County
3. The Infamous Stringdusters – You Can’t Handle The Truth
4. Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth – Single Girl
5. Mountain Heart – You’d Better Run
6. Danny Paisley & The Southern Gras – The Room Over Mine
7. The Farewell Drifters – Somewhere Down The Road
8. Grasstowne – Here Comes That Feelin’ Again
9. Wayne and Kristin Benson – Spindale
10. Last Road Bluegrass Band – One Foot In The Mill
11. Cody Shuler and Pine Mountain Railroad – My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan’s Land
12. Steep Canyon Rangers – Call The Captain
13. Songs From The Road Band – Taxman
14. The Snyder Family Band – Daniel Prayed
15. Walkin’ Home – Salt Creek

To get a copy of this CD, contact WNCW and make a donation to support their top notch broadcasting – which is also streamed live online. In the pre-drive period (until March 28) a donation of $50 will get you this album as a premium; after that it will be $60.

We can each decide for ourselves whether a station that broadcasts 8 hours of bluegrass and traditional music on Saturdays (with more on Sundays) is worthy of our financial support. I’ll just say that Goin’ Across The Mountain Live – Volume 3 is a fine inducement.

To get a copy now, contact the station by phone (Diane Dezio – 828-287-8000).

If you’re in the Knoxville area you can see the show live, for free, at the Square Room, 4 Market Square. Otherwise, listen online, again for free, at WDVX.com.

Enjoy the music!

Well, that opportunity will be afforded to participants at the DelFest Academy, which debuts the week before the main festival this May in Cumberland, MD. Members of Del’s band, along with Ronnie Bowman and Steep Canyon Rangers will provide workshops and classes from May 19-21, just ahead of DelFest proper, which runs May 22-24.

Students will be segmented according to skill level with classes provided for guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. If sufficient interest is expressed by those registering in advance, instruction will also be offered in singing and songwriting.

Registration will be limited to ensure that everyone gets direct attention from each instructor. RV and rough camping is available on site, and a number of off site lodging options are available close by.

You can find further details and full regsitration details at the DelFest Academy web site.

They have tapped Ronnie Bowman again as producer, reprising his role in the success of the band’s last project, Lovin’ Pretty Women. Tracking is scheduled to begin in late February at Wyatt Rice’s studio just outside of Nashville.

Rangers banjo man Graham Sharp tells us that sticking with what works was the band’s philosophy this time out.

“After a few different prospects and a lot of thinking we decided our next record would be with Rebel.  The decider was simply the fact that Mark and Dave Freeman, and everyone else there, have always been great to work with and so supportive.

Making this record will be a little different than others because it will be the first time we’ve used the same producer on consecutive albums. Needless to say, Ronnie Bowman is one of the more inspiring people to work with; his work ethic is unbelievable.

The Rangers have been plowing through a ton of material, all of it written within the band, and it’s hard to say exactly what shape the finished product will have, but we’re going to find out.”

Rebel is hoping for a Fall ‘09 release, as are the many Steep Canyon Rangers fans worldwide.

In addition to the Rangers, members of SFTRB are drawn from The Emmit Nershi Band, Shannon Whitworth and the Refugees, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Town Mountain, Super Grit Cowboy Band and The Grit Pixies. Pickers include Charles on bass, Mark Schimick on mandolin, Andy Thorn on banjo, Nicky Sanders on fiddle, and Sam Wharton on guitar. Vocalists are Robert Greer, Lance Mills and Shannon Whitworth.

Audio samples can be found on the band’s MySpace page. CDs can be purchased from CD Baby and downloads are available at iTunes.

At 1:00 p.m., Ralph Stanley II will join Gracie Muldoon for a live interview on WorldWideBluegrass.com, cybercasting bluegrass 24/7 on the internet. He’ll be talking about his superb new CD, This One Is II, which was released this past September.

Then at 3:00 p.m.,  switch over to WNCW to hear a live set from Steep Canyon Rangers. They have a show with Larry Keel at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC and will make a stop in Spindale to pick and sing – and talk about all things SCR – at the WNCW studio.

Catch the show broadcast in western NC at 88.7, or via online streaming online.

Finally, The Steeldrivers have a spot on tonight’s Friday Opry, appearing in the opening (9:00-9:30 p.m.) segment. You can always hear The Grand Ole Opry over the air from Nashville at WSM 650 AM, cybercast at wsmonline.com.

On Friday, December 26 Seckler discusses his career with host Frank Stasio on North Carolina Public Radio’s The State of Things. During the hour long program, he will perform several songs backed by semi-regular support band the Steep Canyon Rangers. The State of Things starts at noon (EST) and can be found at 91.5 FM (WUNC, Chapel Hill), 88.9 FM (WUND, Manteo) and 90.9 FM (WRQM, Rocky Mount) on the dial. If you are out of range of these stations, you may listen by visiting the WUNC website.

The show also maintains an audio archive, so you might be able to find Curly’s visit there after the fact.

The following day, December 27, also at noon there will a repeat of the October 25th programme on WSVS in Crewe, VA, that featured Seckler, Jody Rainwater and the Steep Canyon Rangers live in WSVS’s Flatt & Scruggs studio. The two-hour show features chat with Seckler and Rainwater, both recalling some favorite memories from their long careers in bluegrass music, and some live music. You can tune into the two-hour program at 800 AM in central Virginia, or listen on the Internet.

Of course, on Christmas Day Seckler will celebrate another birthday, his 89th in this case.

He and his wife, Eloise, will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary the following day.

Happy holidays indeed!