Monday, November 29, 2010

Punch Brothers & Steve Martin Letterman

7 comments:

Diane Smith said...

I like them -- they are really good.

Nice link down below that to a banjo award Steve is giving each year which he announced on that same show. Good for him to be giving back to those who struggle for years playing without recognition.

Rik Elswit said...

That's wonderful. Punk bluegrass.

Chris Thile is the mandolin equivalent of Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Bryan Sutton on guitar, and Bela Fleck on banjo. There are guys who are arguably as good, but there's no one better. His duets with Mike Marshall (one of those arguably as good) are legendary. And he's just a kid.

Thanks for that, Gary.

Rik Elswit said...

On second listen. NOBODY is playing Scruggs-style, or a Gibson banjo. Steve's actually playing what looks like a variation on clawhammer. The kid on double bass is moving into Edgar Meyer territory. The Zeitgeist has moved on.

Diane, where is the link? I'm a little dense on this stuff.

Diane Smith said...

Welcome back, Rik!

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qggxi0CNt2s

Diane Smith said...

(Sorry for the ad that runs first ... the cost of admission)

Anonymous said...

I was thinking our blog had been retired, long time no input. Lets hear from ya'll.

Rik Elswit said...

OK, that link was worth following. They talk about the prize and then bring out Noam Pikelny, the first winner, to accept his $50K check (which he tucks into his sport coat breast pocket. You can see it peeing out), and to play with Steve.

They do a great goof on "Dueling Banjos", with Noam leading, which isn't all that difficult a tune. But after the first couple of chords, when they get into the descending run before the "Yankee Doodle" part, Noam plays an impossibly difficult line that includes some Don Reno, some Bill Keith, and some quasi-classical guitar technique.

At that point, Steve sits there doing a Jack Benny take, and then the check flies out of Noam's pocket and back into Steve's (He's still doing magic). It's brilliantly done.

Banjo has gone way past Scruggs and Seeger.