The Goat Rodeo Sessions

Disappointingly few virtuoso classical musicians collaborate with roots-based musicians. Some no doubt think it is beneath them, an attitude which the likes of Menuhin and Nigel Kennedy have exposed as fatuous. But my theory has always been that many more would like to, but are deterred by their fear of improvisation, convinced they will freeze without a score in front of them telling them what notes to play. The world’s finest classical cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, admits he was ‘terrified’ when he collaborated with jazz singer Bobby McFerrin and discovered that everything was improvised. But Ma’s omnivorous musical curiosity has proved stronger than his fear of the unknown and over his career he’s played everything from traditional Chinese music to Argentinian tango. On The Goat Rodeo Sessions he teams up with bluegrass musicians Chris Thile (guitar, mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle, banjo) and Edgar Meyer (bass). The music they make together is not bluegrass and it’s not classical but a genuine hybrid. It helps that the cello isn’t a traditional bluegrass instrument – so there’s no precedent or custom for Ma to follow. At times his cello dances merrily with the mandolin or entwines with the fiddle. At others he strikes a melancholy empathy with the plaintive notes of the banjo. Yet the interplay is never as straightforward as that, as the instrumentalists constantly shift around and change roles. Born out of hours of genuine improvisation during rehearsals, the feel is natural and fluid, although loose would be entirely the wrong word, as the exquisite precision of the ensemble playing is breathtaking. Yet there is a freedom that allows the quartet to combine feel and technique into a sound that is rare and wonderful. Someone will probably dub it ‘concerto country’ or ‘bluegrass baroque.’ We'll just settle for ‘genius.’