Noam Pikelny is the banjo player for the Punch Brothers and winner of the 2010 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Pikelny is a virtuoso of the 5-string banjo, a player of unparalleled technique. As a member of Punch Brothers, he has helped to broaden the awareness of the banjo in the mainstream. He recently appeared on Late Night with David Letterman with Steve Martin.
In addition to an all star cast of instrumentalists including Bryan Sutton (guitar), Chris Thile (mandolin), Tim O’Brien (mandolin, fiddle) and Jerry Douglas (dobro), Noam also shares the spotlight with guest vocalists Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still) on a delightful rendering of Tom Waits’ “Fish and Bird” and Tim O’Brien on a re-working of the Henry Thomas classic “Bob Mckinney.”
Other standout tracks include a banjo duet with Steve Martin on the old-time standard “Cluck Old Hen” and an instrumental powerhouse trio featuring Chris Thile and Bryan Sutton on the original “Bear Dog Grit.”
Rounding out the band is fiddler Stuart Duncan, Punch Brothers guitarist Chris Eldridge, and bassist Mark Schatz. The release marks Punch Brothers fiddler Gabe Witcher’s debut as producer.
Noam will be on tour promoting the album this December.
Buy the album or MP3 downloads:
- In North America: Beat The Devil and Carry A Rail. Other recordings available: In the Maze, Antifogmatic
- In Europe: Other recordings available: In the Maze
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
