Most of us know Steve Martin as an actor and comedian, but it turns out that he’s a fine banjo picker as well. As proof, he has recently released a very good album that spotlights his banjo skills, which is available for only $5 for a limited time at Amazon, as part of their Friday Five deal.
Not only does this album include catchy instrumentals, quality re-workings of some of his older compositions and even some of his own vocals, it features a Vince Gill and Dolly Parton duet, which is nothing short of delightful.
I can guarantee this will be well worth your $5 as long as you enjoy bluegrass music, but if you’re still curious to know more about this album, check out Juli Thanki’s excellent review at The9513. She concludes with high praise:
“We’re barely into 2009, and already The Crow is a frontrunner for bluegrass album of the year. People may buy it simply due to the novelty factor of Martin’s fame, but those who actually listen to it are in for a pleasant surprise. Let’s just hope Steve doesn’t wait another forty-five years before releasing his next one.”
Martin does indeed have a history of this. His early days in the business were doing stand-up comedy routines at the Troubadour here in Los Angeles, and it included his prowess at bluegrass banjo, inspired by Earl Scruggs, John McCuen, and Doug Dillard, masters of that style.
And for further proof, there is a video on YouTube of Martin and Scruggs, and a whole host of other characters (Vince Gill and Marty Stuart among them) jamming on Late Night with David Letterman on the always-rousing Scruggs classic “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”
Eric,
I agree, it’s excellent. It can also be found as a studio track on the Erl Scruggs And Friends album, which is how I became aware that Martin could play the banjo.
WOW! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I love this style of music and it’s just what I need after this wild week. :-)
I would like to buy some tablature for playing my five string in that style can anyone help?
John
John, if you haven’t been to the Banjo Hangout http://www.banjohangout.org, I’d definitely start there. It’s full of great information, lots of tab (I’m pretty sure “The Crow” is on there), and a whole bunch of knowledgeable folks on the forums. Good luck!