Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Bluegrass, folk pop
Status:
Most recent release, So Familiar (2015)
See also:
Steve Martin's site
Comparisons:
Alison Krauss's collaboration with Robert Plant? Sarah Jarosz?
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell team up and together make music unlike what either has really done before. It's bluegrass, but of the sort that people who aren't really into bluegrass (like me) can enjoy. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Recommended first album:
Love Has Come for You
Recordings:
- Love Has Come for You (2013)
- So Familiar (2015)
Love Has Come for You
Release info:
2013—Rounder—11661-9150-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Edie Brickell—lead vocal
Steve Martin—5-string banjo, additional vocal on "Yes She Did"
Guest artists:
Waddy Wachtel—acoustic guitar (1-5, 10, 11, 13); electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 11, 13)
Matt Rollings—piano (1, 8); handclaps (2); accordion (3); Fender Rhodes (8); Wurlitzer (9)
Peter Asher—bass guitar, background vocals (1); percussion (1-3, 5, 10-13); handclaps (2, 11); acoustic guitar (5, 7, 13)
Nicky Sanders—fiddle (2, 3, 5, 7)
Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek)—acoustic guitar (2, 11, 12)
Mike Guggino—mandolin (2, 7); background vocals (3, 7)
Aaron Sterling—cajon (2, 5); handclaps (2); drums (8, 10, 12, 13); percussion (10-13)
Stephen Hilton—synthesizers (2, 3, 5, 8, 10-12); electronic percussion (2, 3, 5, 10-12)
The Webb Sisters—background vocals (2, 3, 5, 10, 13)
Woody Platt—background vocals (3, 7); acoustic guitar (7)
Graham Sharp—background vocals (3, 7)
Ian Walker—bass (3, 12); double bass (8, 10, 11, 13)
Jeff Alan Ross—electric guitar (4)
Esperanza Spalding—double bass (5); bass (9)
Charles Humphrey—double bass (7)
Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek)—fiddle (11)
Thomas Fetherstonhaugh, Sean Hill, Noah Scoffield, Joseph Outtrim; members of the Schola Cantorum, The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial school London—choir (9)
Perry Montague Mason, Patrick Kiernan—violins
Kate Musker—viola
Anthony Pleeth—cello
Stacey Watton—double bass
Geoff Zanelli—string quintet arrangements (1, 3, 10, 13); dulcitone (10); handclaps (11)
Produced by:
Peter Asher
Comments:
A New York Times article quotes Steve Martin as saying, "We're not writing old-fashioned pretend songs. We're writing contemporary songs with sort of an old flavor. The banjo is evocative of something in the past, and these lyrics are evocative of something new." That seems exactly right to me. The songs touch on love (familial and romantic), longing, new adventures, suicide, and there are some happy ones too. Musically it's upbeat, centered on Steve Martin's banjo. I LOVE this album. (JoAnn Whetsell)
So Familiar
Release info:
2015—Rounder—11661-37395-02
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Steve Martin—Deering "Clawgrass" banjo, Goldtone baritone banjo, Nechville "Orion" banjo, background vocals, hand claps
Edie Brickell—vocals, background vocals, hand claps
Guest artists:
Rob Berman—harmonium, piano, accordion, celeste, Fender Rhodes
Leland Sklar—bass
Jeff Alan Ross—B3; electric, acoustic, and baritone guitars; keyboards; Wurlitzer
Steve Aho—drums, percussion, cajon, congas, piano, vibes, marimba
Peter Asher—acoustic 12-string, percussion, ukulele, acoustic guitar, Resonator guitar, virus, background vocals, hand claps
Mike Guggino—mandolin
Doug Livingston—pedal steel guitar
Nathaniel Kunkel—percussion
Chris Bleth—recorders, clarinet, penny whistle
Mike Einziger—electric guitar
Steep Canyon Rangers—track 8
Mike Guggino—mandolin, background vocals, hand claps
Graham Sharp—banjo, background vocals, hand claps
Nicky Sanders—fiddle, background vocals, hand claps
Charles Humphrey III—double bass, background vocals, hand claps
Mike Ashworth—percussion, background vocals, hand claps
Béla Fleck—baritone banjo (10)
Victoria Asher—background vocals (2, 4-6, 8, 9, 11)
Geoff Zanelli—orchestra and string quartet arrangements and conducting (2, 3, 5-7, 11, 12)
Ann Marie Simpson, Abby Khalek, Rachel Kim, Cindy Wu—violins
Koyo Kim—viola
Vardan Gasparyan, Isaiah Gage—celli
Produced by:
Peter Asher
Comments:
A wonderful follow-up to Love Has Come for You. My favorites are "I Had a Vision" and the rousing drinking song "Another Round," which features the Steep Canyon Rangers. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell perform some of their songs on the CD/DVD set Live by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell (2014).Steve Martin and Edie Brickell also collaborated on the musical Bright Star, opening on Broadway in February 2016.
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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