Short Trip Home

You heard it here, folks. I am a classical fan who, like most other classical fans, shrinks away from the mention of the word "crossover" like it's got the plague. Being classically trained in violin, and taking great joy in blasting the fans of Vanessa-Mae, the announcement of Joshua Bell, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, and Mike Marshall collaborating on a folk/classical/bluegrass fusion CD was quite a shock to me, initially. Heck, I didn't even know who Sam Bush And Mike Marshall were. Bluegrass? That conjures up in my mind an image of a banjo-pickin', overall-wearin' geezer with bad dental hygeine, sitting on his wood porch somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Or at least, that's what I used to be like until I heard this CD. This CD is simply amazing. Meyer's compositions are a joy to listen to- they do justice to all the genres they touch upon and exude a joy and warmth in a way that only folk music can. And something happened to me. I started tapping my foot along...Read more

In a country where adults are starving for music that is not bland pop, that is nonetheless accessible, and that is aimed at adult sensibilities, the sales rank of this recording disappoints me. Hopefully this review will help to do something about the sickness that results from the lack of substance being tube-fed to us by the music industry. Too much truly great music is commercially stillborn for failure to fit a niche within the narrow range of radio formats, or for failure to be safely classified as one genre or another.

Have you ever wondered where they get those great musical interludes on PBS or NPR? Quite often the answer is this ensemble, or some portion thereof in yet another great and genre bending band. Sam Bush is known to many as a long time member of the traveling virtuosos that were New Grass Revival, and Marshall can play mandolin with anyone. Neither could be called a mindless picker by anyone but a closed-minded clod. There is a depth and...Read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I must admit that when I bought it, I was caught up in the "O' Brother, Where art thou?" frenzy - so after the first playing of this disc I was momentarily struck by one of those, "what the heck did I order THIS for" moments. While there is an obvious Appalachian influence, this is not a collection of old-time thigh slapping tunes. This is well constructed, beautiful instrumental (only) music with a Blue Ridge flavor. It's even possible to say that there is more of a New Age feel here than a Southen one. The music is mostly upbeat, though there is a nice mix of fast and slow tunes. This album will appeal to those who are more inclined towards classical music than those who are inclined to 1930s and 40s traditional Bluegrass. God bless you if you're inclined to both.