Jam band
aficionados will recognize banjoist
Noam Pikelny
as a former member of Colorado legends
Leftover Salmon
. On his solo debut he continues to explore the jazzy side of acoustic music, teaming up with mandolinist
Matt Flinner
, guitarist
David Grier
, fiddler
Gabe Witcher
, and bassist
Todd Phillips
to deliver a solid set of original compositions that constantly meander back and forth across the boundary lines that separate
jazz
,
bluegrass
, and
folk
music. Unsurprisingly, given that he's a former student of both
Bela Fleck
and
Mark Vann
Pikelny
's playing style is melodic rather than
traditional
, but many of his compositions -- especially
"Speed Bump"
and the lovely
"Overland"
-- hark back explicitly to the good old days of
traditional bluegrass
breakdowns, while others (notably the deliriously complex and beautiful
"Manchicken"
) split the difference between tradition and innovation, and still others (like the title track) trade speed and energy for a contemplative lyricism. The two tracks that are not
compositions (
Ross Martin
's
"Flight of the Green Chair"
Greg Garrison
"Charlie's Song"
) are both perfectly nice, but not as noteworthy as his own compositions. Overall, this is a very impressive debut from a young but already well-established solo artist. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson