Customer Reviews

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have enjoyed the music of Tony Trischka for more than twenty-five years and managed to see him perform twice with Skyline in the mid-Eighties. This latest release features an all-star cast (Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile) along with like-minded banjo players who share the spotlight on each track. Whether the banjo players are traditionalists (Earl Scruggs, Bill Emerson) or more contemporary stylists (Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Scott Vestal), this release is a banjo picker's delight.

Here's a rundown of the guest banjo players on each track:

1. "Farewell Blues" - Features legendary performer Earl Scruggs (who just turned 83 this month!).

2. "Bon Aqua Blues" - A Trischka original featuring Rhonda Vincent's banjo player Kenny Ingram.

3. "Fox on the Run" - One of only three vocals, featuring Tom Adams, who spent several years with the Johnson Mountain Boys.

4. "Twilight Kingdom" - Another original, featuring Bela Fleck, who also co-produced the album with Trischka. At 8:34, it is by far the longest track on the album. Unlike most of the tracks, which fall into a definite bluegrass vein, this displays their newgrass style.

5. "Run Mountain" - Features young banjo phenom Noam Pikelny, a former student of both Fleck and Mark Vann (who Pikelny replaced in the bluegrass/jam band Leftover Salmon after Vann's untimely death). This is the second vocal number.

6. "Escher's Waltz" - Another Trischka original, featuring Alison Brown, who came to prominance with Alison Kraus and Union Station in the late-Eighties.

7. "Doggy Salt" - Another Trischka original featuring Scott Vestal, who has worked with Larry Sparks and Doyle Lawson before enjoying a successful solo career.

8. "The Crow" - Features Steve Martin, who is an accomplished banjo player. [Listen to side 2 of THE STEVE MARTIN BROTHERS.]

9. "Ivory Toad of Catalan" - Co-written with Fleck, the two again show their newgrass side.

10. "Arcadia" - Another track featuring Alison Brown.

11. "Old Cane Pole" - Features Bill Emerson, who was a founding member of the Country Gentlemen.

12. "Live and Let Live" - Features Tom Adams, the third vocal track.

13. "Armando's Children" - Written by Fleck, he and Trischka again explore the possibilities of the banjo outside a bluegrass context. At 5:47, it is the second-longest track.

14. "Plunkin' Rag" - The album closes with a footstomping romp between Trischka and Martin--two artists having fun.

And this entire album is fun. If you enjoy good banjo picking, this album is sure to delight. [Running Time - 57:14] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Tony Trischka has always taken the road less traveled (at least as far as the 5-string banjo is concerned) throughout his career, leaving an indelible mark as an innovator and composer while confounding (and often infuriating) the traditional bluegrass world. While I've always admired Tony's incredible musical reach, I most enjoy his inventions when employed within the "traditional" bluegrass instrumentation. "Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular" works wonderfully on that score, with Tony teaming up with many of the genre's most influential banjoists (from Scruggs to Fleck) and the cream of the bluegrass aristocracy (Douglas, Thiele, Rice, Bush) to create yet another fabulous soundscape of the first order.

At this point, one would expect the mentor/mentee combination of Tony and Bela Fleck to produce memorable picking, and they don't fail here - I particularly love "Twilight Kingdom," with its lovely harmonics and tempo changes. But just about every banjo combo clicks on this CD - it's great to hear the 83-year old Earl Scruggs still be able to tear up "Farewell Blues;" to me, one of the biggest surprises (even more so than Steve Martin's fine contributions) is the playful duet between Tony and big Kenny Ingram (currently Rhonda Vincent's and formerly the late Lester Flatt's banjoist) on "Bon Aqua Blues." The few vocal tracks are also fun - if you wonder why "Fox on the Run" would ever appear on a Tony Trischka CD, wait until you hear the verse with what are actually the original Manfred Mann chords. Plus, you'll also get to hear (briefly) Michael Daves on "Run Mountain" - Daves is currently touring with Tony to support this CD, and his singing and guitar picking are of such otherworldly quality that it's only a matter of time before he becomes a bluegrass star in his own right.

If you love the 5-string banjo, this is as close to heaven as it gets. And if you have the opportunity, catch Tony with his "DBBS" band to experience the magic.

This is the coolest!!!!!!!!!!!! Tony Trischka must be heard!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saw Tony play for the first time on The Ellen Show last week with Steve Martin. Loved the music, had to have the CD---can't play it enough!!!!!!!!!

I first heard about this CD on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. The band performed and had me hooked. I am very pleased with the CD. I thoroughly enjoy every track.

The 5-string resonator banjo, long the center of insert-unpopular-musician-of-choice-here jokes and stereotyped as the only instrument for toothless rednecks, has finally met its match in this album.

Tony Trischka is a banjo player's banjo player, and I've long thought him grossly underappreciated; he can lay down a rock-solid Scruggs rhythmic groove and/or marry it with Bill Keith-level melodic stylings. But that ain't all; he's got his own sense of structure and chromatics and Trischka's style is absolutely his own. He plays with wit and verve and real joy. He's an extraordinary student of the instrument; although most of his work is on a modern resonator banjo, played three-finger style, Trischka is also an accomplished clawhammer player and can also play moving pieces on African instruments that were the progenitors of the modern banjo.

This album doesn't include any of those older forms of music, but - well, heck - it is the Double Banjo BLUEGRASS Spectacular, after all. In creating this disc, Trischka has summoned a Who's Who of the best players working to join in a brilliant collection of tunes featuring two banjos.

What a joy to hear Trischka and Earl Scruggs together on a reprise of "Farewell Blues." At 80 some-odd years old, the man who created the sound of bluegrass banjo can still lay it down and Trischka is brilliant with him - accenting the work of the master and never upstaging him. There are extraordinary readings of songs with the likes of innovators like Noam Pikelny and Alison Brown. In fact, just about the only player you'd wish was on this album who isn't is Bill Keith, and one suspects that Trischka would have done almost anything to have him on this disc (Keith truly despises the entire process of recording).

Two of the tracks were recorded with Steve Martin - yes, THAT Steve Martin - and it really is time that Martin released a serious album of his own banjo music; he's that good a player. Perhaps DBBS will prove an inspiration, and kudos to Trischka for not only bringing him aboard for this project but also featuring one of Martin's own songs (The Crow, which may be the most pop-accessible tune on the disc; it's the one that was played on Letterman and Ellen etc.).

But let us speak of Bela Fleck. Fleck was one of Trischka's students; they remain close friends and continue to influence each other to this day. Fleck is also present on two songs, including what I consider the disc's absolute standout piece: and 8-minute opus called Twilight Kingdom. The tune was written by Trischka and starts with a languid double-C-with-Scruggs-Tuners statement of theme. Joined by Fleck, Alison Krauss bass player Barry Bales, Dobro whiz Jerry Douglas, guitarist David Grier and a bunch of other top Nashville studio cats, the theme gets restated and improvised upon before stating a third theme and accelerating like an amusement park ride into a breakneck romp featuring amazingly sly guitar work, one of the best solos Douglas ever recorded, and truly amazing trades of leads by Fleck and Trischka. You'll love it if you just like great acoustic music. If you ever tried to play any of these instruments, it'll melt your brain.

Tony Trischka won a Grammy for this album and it's long overdue. He's recorded brilliant stuff in the past. Perhaps more importantly, Trischka has layed his fingerprints on the five-string banjo as it's played today in a way few other players can boast. He's a brilliant teacher, a genuinely nice guy, and a superb musician who is always looking for interesting new sounds and melodies to coax out of one of the most persnickety stringed instruments ever invented.

If you're a fan of the banjo, you'll love this album. If you're on the fence, try it anyway. This album has so many interesting things going on with it - and so many brilliant players - that you may just realize what a spectacularly versatile instrument it is.

Playing Time - 57:14 -- Are you a bluegrass fan who just can't get enough banjo? Then this is just the snappy and innovative album for you. Pyrotechnic five-string duets performed with excellent accompaniment are on the menu of Tony Trischka's "Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular." Originally from New York, Tony began picking the banjo in 1963 at age 14. One of his students, Bela Fleck, is also prominently featured on this project as both a player and tunewriter. The other nimble-fingered banjo-players in the duets include Earl Scruggs, Steve Martin, Alison Brown, Tom Adams, Scott Vestal, Noam Pikelny, Kenny Ingram and Bill Emerson. Quick-paced romps give way to bright and breezy grooves with all of the standard bluegrass instruments getting a piece of the action. The guitar breaks from David Grier, Kenny Smith and Tony Rice are especially noteworthy, although I found it interesting that Grier's were isolated rather far right in the stereo mix. A few vocal bluegrass numbers provide some changes in the disc's overall musical mood. Dudley Connell sings lead on "Fox on the Run" and "Live and Let Live." Lou Reid or Sally Love provide some backing vocals. Michael Daves sings on "Run Mountain."

At almost nine minutes in length, Twilight Kingdom begins with melodious interplay between Trischka and Fleck before being infused with added hustle four minutes into the piece that is one of six songs that Trischka wrote or co-wrote on the project. They also collaborate on the project's leanest arrangement, "Armando's Children," written by Bela. From the repertoire of Jim Eanes and The Shenandoah Boys, the album closes with Steve Martin and Tony Trischka in the drivers' seats for "Plunkin' Rag" (aka "Ridin' the Waves") in which the two pickers provide harmony with their Scruggs tuners. Don't try that at home without the ability to overdub! This is a top notch, expressive production that shows how much adoration the banjo is deserving of. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

My wife bought this for me and I thought it was going to be the same old same old bluegrass and I really ended up loving it.

Starring the legendary Banjo Master Tony Trischka, who's taught and mentored the very best, this record is a revelation. The level of virtuosity and musicality on this record will open your eyes to a style of music that is uniquely engaging. These original tunes composed by Tony and a variety of stellar artists (including Steve Martin; Yes! that Steve Martin!) range from full-on smokin' Bluegrass to lyrical and lovely. Play this record for your friends, they'll be amazed by it's charm and by your musical smarts! (It's also very well recorded!)

I could not possibly add depth to the the excellent reviews already listed here. So I will write for the novice listener.

Most of those who have never gotten into Banjo music think of the claw hammer (read LOUD) style of playing that is featured in most traditional bluegrass music. Most of the negative reviews you will read here are from those who only like that "traditional" style, which is funny when you realize that Bluegrass is a much younger form than Jazz and really only a few years older than Rock and Roll (Chuck Berry clearly borrowed styles from Monroe who was his slightly older contemporary).

This album covers both Bluegrass and Newgrass and even some "modern" forms (the rambling, spare duet with Fleck). It has an Indy Rocker like Chris Thile coming back to his roots and a comedian coming back to one of his old hobbies. So it really is not strictly a bluegrass album, despite the title.

And it's not all loud. There are lots of very delicate fingerings and duets that are quite subtle and even soft, if you can imagine the Banjo being played that way. Some of the arrangements are straightforward, but most are playful, original and some are suites of musical styles.

This is the best introduction to Banjo Music that I could possibly imagine, a true sampler of great players in diverse styles.

Bluegrass at its best! Toe tappin', ear to ear grinnin', you can smell the mountain air from here entertainment!