Posts Tagged ‘noam pikelny’
Punch Brothers at London’s Scala
Posted on May 17th, 2012 in Recent Posts, Reviews by Sophie Marie Atkinson.
Photo by Danny Clinch
Last Monday the ever-wonderful Punch Brothers rocked a very dreary London to the most wildly enthusiastic crowd I think I’ve ever encountered.
Chris Thile and his quirky bluegrass cohorts, all disturbingly talented and very much famous in their own rights, rattled through a set-list packed with hits old and new – including ‘Rye Whiskey’, ‘This Girl’ and ‘Movement and Location’ – at Scala in Kings Cross before recording for Later… With Jools Holland a mere few days later.
Each and every member of the band – frontman and mandolin virtuoso Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, banjo player Noam Pikelny, violinist Gabe Witcher and bassist and Paul Kowert – appeared to be blown-away by the response of the crowd, who whooped and cheered throughout the gig, clearly showing their appreciation for Thile and Co and what they are doing for the bluegrass scene.
Based out of New York, Punch Brothers, who are said to be Elton John’s favourite band, are currently playing a key and impactful role in the new American acoustic movement.
Each of the individual musicians has crammed plenty of solo work and/or other collaborations in between Punch Brothers commitments. Pikelny has released a second solo disc, Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail, produced by Witcher. Eldridge joined Pikelny on his record and, along with Witcher, on his tour. Kowert has been playing live dates in guitarist Jordan Tice’s trio with hammer dulcimer player Simon Chrisman, with which he released the album The Secret History. The peripatetic Thile, formerly of Nickel Creek, recorded a Grammy–nominated duo set with Brooklyn guitar savant Michael Daves, Sleep with One Eye Open; released The Goat Rodeo Sessions, with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Stuart Duncan (which won a Songlines Music Award for best cross-cultural collaboration); and performed live in London with jazz pianist Brad Mehldau.
Noam Pikelny tries his hand at singing
Posted on December 12th, 2011 in Recent Posts by Alexandra Petropoulos.
Recognised as one of the world’s best banjo players, Noam Pikelny has released yet another hit album – Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail, a Top of the World this issue.
He’s a member of the progressive bluegrass band, Punch Brothers, and received the 2010 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. After winning the award, Pikelny appeared on a David Letterman for some good ol’ fashioned ‘Dueling Banjos’ – you can watch a video here.
With all his fame and recognition, Pikelny decided to branch out and try his hand at singing, and it doesn’t seem like the banjo world took too kindly to this prospect…
Watch the video: Bluegrass Diva with Steve Martin, Ed Helms and Noam Pikelny
BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby playlist and the 10 best new releases in the January/February issue of Songlines (#81)
Posted on December 8th, 2011 in Recent Posts by Songlines.
The January/February 2012 issue of Songlines – on sale December 9 – features a free covermount CD packed full of the best new sounds from around the world, plus 5 tracks selected by BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby.
The issue also features the second free CD Folkelarm: Traditional Music from Norway.
The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Gilles Peterson’s latest Havana Cultura adventure; Cape Verde’s rising star Tcheka; US banjo master Noam Pikelny; the Kinshasa visions of Baloji; Eastern European roots from Caci Vorba; and Yo-Yo Ma’s new bluegrass collaboration, among others.
Pick up your copy here on the website, at selected WHSmith’s and at all good record retailers. Feast your ears on these all-new tracks:
* Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band feat. Roberto Fonseca, El Micha and Osdalgia ‘Agita’ on Brownswood Recordings
* Tcheka ‘Fla Mantenha’ on Lusafrica
* The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc ‘Polska From Delsbo’ on Etnisk Musikklubb
* Pine Leaf Boys ‘Whiskey C’est Mon Ami’ on Valcour Records
* Caci Vorba ‘Me Pacav’ on Oriente Musik
* Baloji ‘Congo Eza Ya Biso (Le Secours Populaire)’ on Crammed Discs
* Lepistö & Lehti ‘Raudanselkä’ on Aito Records
* Noam Pikelny ‘Bob McKinney’ feat. Tim O’Brien on Compass Records
* Carlos Orozco ‘A La Suegra’ on Nascente
* Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile ‘Attaboy’ on Sony Classical
Plus Jonathan Dimbleby’s playlist:
* Sukay ‘Concepcion’ on World Music Network
* Staff Benda Bilili ‘Moto Moindo’ on Crammed Discs
* Western Jazz Band ‘Vigelegele (Ululation)’ on Sterns
* Samuel Yirga ‘Ambassel In Box Revisited’ on Real World
* Chico Trujillo ‘Varga Varga’ on Barbès Records
January/February 2012 issue of Songlines (#81) is on sale in the UK from December 9
Posted on December 7th, 2011 in Recent Posts by Songlines.
The January/February 2012 issue of Songlines is on sale in the UK from December 9 and includes our regular Top of the World CD with ten tracks from the finest new releases from around the planet, plus a second free CD Folkelarm: Traditional Music from Norway.
The Top of the World CD also includes five tracks selected by BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby.
The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Gilles Peterson’s latest Havana Cultura adventure; Cape Verde’s rising star Tcheka; US banjo master Noam Pikelny; the Kinshasa visions of Baloji; Eastern European roots from Caci Vorba; and Yo-Yo Ma’s new bluegrass collaboration, among others.
The main editorial features include:
• Best of 2011 – The editors pick their top albums of the year.
• The New Latin Wave – A look at the latest movers and shakers in Latin American music and how they’re breaking down borders.
• Yo-Yo Ma – The cellist ditches his music score and goes on a Goat Rodeo with some first-class improvisers.
• Baloji – The young, Belgium-based singer talks about his early life in the Congo and why he’s known as a ‘super-sorcerer’.
• Tools of the Trade: The Chinese Qin – Examining the history of this most ancient of Chinese zithers, associated with purity and enlightenment.
• Sounding Out San Francisco – all the best places to see and hear music in the boho capital of the US west coast.
• Beginner’s Guide to the late Argentinian folk singer Mercedes Sosa.
• Postcard from Switzerland.
• Festival Profile: Kriol Jazz Festival, Cape Verde.
• Backpage from Buenos Aires.
• My World – BBC presenter Jonathan Dimbleby.
• Grooves – Gambian kora player Dawda Jobarteh, Mississippi-born folk singer Caroline Herring and boundary-busting English folkie Damien Barber.
• News, including fado and UNESCO.
• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.
