You probably know Steve Martin from his movies The Jerk or Three Amigos, or his SNL or Muppets Show guest appearances. But way back in the beginning, Steve Martin used to do amazing stand up comedy with his trusty banjo. Check it out for yourself:
Any who, enough man-crushing on Steve Martin (not to mention Edie Brickell, wife of Paul Simon). Let's talk about the album.
The album mainly consists of Steve Martin on his Banjo and Edie Brickell's vocals, but also features a lot of guest appearances including Esperanza Spalding on bass, Sara and Sean Watkins on fiddle and acoustic guitar (respectively), and Robert "Waddy" Watchtel on electric and acoustic guitar! Opening things up is When You Get to Asheville, a beautiful song that puts a modern twist on long distance relationships. Also on this album is Love Has Come For You, which was recognized last year at the Grammys as Best Roots Song, a new award in which it was the first recipient. Yes She Did is a wonderful song (about suicide), and is a song you can hear Steve Martin doing back-up in. Flipping to the B-Side, you should check out Sun's Gonna Shine and Who You Gonna Take?
I could really go on about this album, or Steve Martin's work in general (check out his stuff with the Steep Canyon Rangers or his album The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo [which is pretty hard to find on vinyl now-a-days]) but I think you should check it out for yourself. I was lucky enough to see Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers play with Edie Brickell at the Hollywood Bowl for 4th of July, and it was an amazing performance. This album is perfect for sitting on the porch, drinking sweet tea, or having a few friends over. On Amazon it runs for about $24.97 and eBay is just about the same, but if you can find a used copy at your local record store, you won't be disappointed.
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