Steve Martin

By Pete Wernick

Starting in early 2009, the bluegrass community has a prominent new face: One of the most famous, successful, and versatile figures in American entertainment has gone public with his lifelong five-string banjo obsession, producing the “world’s most expensive banjo record” and supporting it with a dizzying string of TV appearances including Late Show With David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, American Idol, and a cluster of high-visibility talk shows (the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Tavis Smiley, The Colbert Report, and more). Never before on the planet has a banjo been seen and heard by so many people in such a concentrated period of time.

The album, “The Crow,” now on Rounder Records, features 14 of Steve’s original compositions, both instrumental and vocal, plus a medley of traditional tunes performed clawhammer-style. Supported by an all-star cast coordinated by producer John McEuen with assistance from Tony Trischka and Pete Wernick, the album hit the top of Billboard magazine’s Bluegrass Chart in February and has remained there most of the year. This summer, Rounder released a “deluxe” popup packaging version with extra tracks, and to further promote the music, Martin is about to undertake his first personal appearance tour in three decades backed by the Steep Canyon Rangers.

How does Steve Martin want to be known to the bluegrass community? “As a musician who writes good tunes and presents them in an appealing way.”

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