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The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo

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The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo
Studio album by
Steve Martin
ReleasedJanuary 27, 2009
GenreBluegrass, folk revival
Length43:18
LabelRounder
ProducerJohn McEuen
Steve Martin chronology
The Steve Martin Brothers
(1981) 		The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo
(2009) 		Rare Bird Alert
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo is a 2009 album by Steve Martin, featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, Tim O'Brien, Tony Trischka and Mary Black. It contains 15 songs and is the first album focusing on Martin as a musician.[2] Martin's 1977 comedy recording Let's Get Small, however, did feature him briefly playing the banjo during some of the comedy bits, and The Steve Martin Brothers devotes one side to banjo playing, including earlier renditions of some of the music presented here. It was first released on January 27, 2009, as an Amazon.com exclusive and then released to retail stores everywhere on May 19, 2009. On January 31, 2010, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

Track list

All songs written by Steve Martin except where indicated.

  1. "Daddy Played the Banjo" (Steve Martin, Gary Scruggs)
  2. "Pitkin County Turnaround" [Instrumental]
  3. "Hoedown at Alice's" [Instrumental]
  4. "Late For School"
    • Steve Martin on vocals
  5. "Tin Roof" [Instrumental]
  6. "Words Unspoken" [Instrumental] (Steve Martin, Pete Wernick)
    • Pete Wernick on banjo
  7. Pretty Flowers
  8. "Wally on the Run" [Instrumental]
  9. "Freddie's Lilt" [Instrumental]
  10. "Saga Of The Old West" [Instrumental]
  11. "Clawhammer Medley" [Instrumental] (Traditional; arranged and additional music by Steve Martin)
  12. "Calico Train"
  13. "Banana Banjo" [Instrumental]
  14. "Blue River Waltz" [Instrumental]
  15. "The Crow" [Instrumental]
  16. "Calico Train" (Remix) [Instrumental]
    • not included on all editions

A Deluxe Limited Edition was released June 16, 2009. It is packaged in a die-cut, fold-open, pop-up Digipak and contains Tracks 1 to 15 as listed above with the additions of:

  2. "Late For School" [Instrumental]
  3. "The Slow Crow" [Instrumental]
  4. "Calico Train" [Instrumental]

Personnel

  • David Amram - percussion, wind instruments (tracks 9, 10, 12, and 18)
  • Russ Barenberg - guitar (tracks 3 to 6, 9 to 11, 14, and 16)
  • Mary Black - vocals (track 12)
  • Chris Caswell - accordion, orchestra, piano (tracks 2, 5, and 13)
  • Michael Daves - guitar (tracks 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, and 18)
  • Jerry Douglas - resonator guitar (tracks 1, 4, 7, 10, and 16)
  • Stuart Duncan - fiddle, mandolin (tracks 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 18)
  • Craig Eastman - fiddle, octave violin (tracks 1 to 6, 8 to 10, 12 to 14, 16, and 18)
  • Matt Flinner - mandolin (tracks 2 to 13, 15, 16, and 18)
  • Vince Gill - vocals (track 7)
  • Brittany Haas - fiddle (tracks 2 to 6, 8 to 13, 16 to 18)
  • Kenny Malone - percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, and 18)
  • Bruce Martin - bodhrán, tabla, percussion (tracks 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 18)
  • John McEuen - guitar, banjo, bowed guitar, electric bass, effects, mandolin (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 16, and 18)
  • Tim O'Brien - vocals (track 1)
  • Liam O'Flynn - Uilleann pipes, drone, tin whistle (tracks 3, 9, 10, 12, and 18)
  • Hans Olson - harmonica (tracks 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, 16, and 18)
  • Dolly Parton - vocals (track 7)
  • Earl Scruggs - banjo (tracks 1 and 7)
  • Tony Trischka - banjo (tracks 8 and 15)
  • Jourdan Urbach - violin (track 13)
  • Skip Ward - acoustic bass
  • Pete Wernick - 2nd chair banjo (tracks 6 and 7)
  • Steve Martin - vocals (track 4), banjo ("all the frailing, and most of the Scruggs style banjo") and piano

Chart performance

Chart (2009) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[3] 93
U.S. Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums[3] 1

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Lewis, Randy (January 31, 2009). "Steve Martin is serious about 'The Crow'". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b "Bluegrass Albums | Billboard.com". Billboard. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
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