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Customer Rating:  
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List Price: $17.98
Our Price: $9.06
Your Save: $ 8.92 ( 50% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Sony
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Product Description
Bassist-composer Edgar Meyer is no stranger to genre "crossover"--he's created moving string quartet works, recorded a classical album with bluegrass greats, and, of course, earned his chops on the folk scene. But Short Trip Home, Meyer's collaboration with violinist Joshua Bell (and bluegrass musicians Sam Bush and Mike Marshall), might be one of his most effective projects yet--a successful mix of bluegrass, improv jamming, and chamber music. The lovely title track is a moving, solitary piece, with Joshua Bell doing most of the lyrical work. "BP" is as close to a bluegrass jam as anything on this disc, with Bell's fiddle, the duo mandolins, and Meyer's bass all working together in a syncopated frenzy. "Death by Triple Fiddle" ends this disc on a thundering note--a "breakdown" if ever there was one. If you loved Meyer's work with Yo-Yo Ma on Appalachian Waltz, or perhaps just want to hear one very sublime, genre-fusing take on Americana themes, this disc is perfect for you. --Jason Verlinde
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Customer Review(s)
Customer Rating: Summary: best of its genre Comment: I have long been a "newgrass" fan, following the likes of David Grisman, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, et al, for more than two decades. I have admired their craftsmanship, their passion, their virtuosity. Over the years, some of these gifted musicians have left the "newgrass" field, whether for brief journeys to other genres, or adopting that new style of music entirely. It is no surprise that some have gravitated to classical music: these guys are incredibly accomplished musicians, with the chops to make it happen. Thus, we see, eg, a Mark O'Connor move almost exclusively to the classical field. Edgar Meyer, who of course was classically trained to begin with, has spent virtually all of his time in that realm over the past decade. Cross-over, as others have observed, is a horse of a different color. Efforts to play in another's ballpark have yielded inconsistent results. For my money, eg, Edgar's collaboration with Bela & Mike Marshall, is largely unsuccessful. Some of the O'connor/ Meyer / Yo Yo Ma pieces are brilliant; others lag badly. Attempts to infuse those disks with further pop sensability by adding the occasional vocal by James Taylor or Allison Krauss fall flat. Which brings us to Short Trip Home. This is, in my opinion, the best of the bluegrass/classical crossover genre. Meyer's compositional brilliance take center stage. The title track speaks of Copland in a simple, understated way. Hang Hang will get you rocking in a way classical music seldom does. If I knew sighs & weeps, and is brilliantly evocative. Death by Triple Fiddle is a workout for all of the players (and a wonder to see live). Throughout, Joshua Bell's playing is a delight. For me, some of the duos are a bit of a drag at the end of the disk: the pieces seemed a little empty without Sam Bush's mandolin and Mike Marshall's guitar work. But I quibble. If you are a fan of newgrass music, you probably already have this disk: if not, get it. I can't speak from the perspective of a classical fan coming to the crossover from that background, but I can say that anyone who is openminded toward great music should find something to enjoy here.
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