Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bil Monroe

[Amanda Gregg]

Hi folks,

Might as well get this started. Who has listened already? Comments?

The NYTimes has a wonderful review, from which I quote below:

"“Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe” is the ingenious new album by Mr. Pikelny...this framework is an absolute boon for him: at once a token of reverence, a feat of translation and a show of dominion."

(Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/ar...sia-bulat.html)

-Amanda

[mandopete]

Love it! I think the banjo picking is kinda understated, which is a big plus for me. I really like his version of Road To Columbus.

[blawson]

What that lineup and collection of songs, how can it not be good? I bought it this a.m. Despite no uninterrupted listen so far on my part, it's very, very good -- as I expected.

I want to have beer with Noam.

[Andy Miller]

Love it! I think the banjo picking is kinda understated, which is a big plus for me. I really like his version of Road To Columbus.

Considering what these guys are capable of, I'd say they're all playing on the understated side. It is one tasty record. I hope Noam makes another pass through Chicago on his tour - I'm sure stops will be pulled out in live performance!

[Justus True Waldron]

I saw Noam's set at Freshgrass on the 21st... in fact it's most of the reason why I went. Even though I'd seen them play before, and heard a few of the demo tracks before, it just about blew my mind. Noam gave me a copy for my radio show, so I've been playing it pretty heavy ever since then. I think he's got an instant classic here... He's done something I hope others continue. It would be cool if in 20 years some other picker does his take on it, preferebly on something other than fiddle or banjo. Zeb Snyder plays Noam Pikelny plays Kenny Baker plays Bill Monroe, anyone?

[Ken_P]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I'd much rather hear something new. As good as the playing is, I've heard it all before.

[Justus True Waldron]

Ken, I'm not telling you not to have your opinion, but you've heard a banjo playing the exact note by note fiddle parts in bluegrass before? That to me was the most amazing part of the whole thing, and I believe the point of the album.

[almeriastrings]

Certainly heard the tunes before... once or twice () but never, ever heard them done quite like this before. As Mr. Spock would say... fascinating.

Some very good ideas here, and I like it how no-one gets too far out there. Excellent picking all round, and very listenable too.

[Glassweb]

There's something to be said for "just good music". To me this is just good music of the best kind. Noam has exquisite tone, timing and technique and so, in my book, he and this CD are a winner.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I think that it's always a good thing when somebody puts a 'new hat on old tunes'. It's a good thing in itself,plus,many times, a listener to the 'new' version will be tempted to search out & listen to the original version. I've done that over & over in most of the musical genres i listen to. I'd never heard or 'heard of' Herschel Sizemore until i bought Jim Mills' CD 'Bound To Ride' with 'Rebecca' on it. It was such a beautiful tune i just had to find out who Herschel was & buy the original. I have at least 1200 Classical / Opera Lp's,but what got me started on the whole Classical music trip, was hearing the LP 'Switched On Bach' by Walter Carlos that has the first movement of Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Concerto on it played on a Moog Synthesizer. The music was so glorious that the next weekend i bought the whole of the Bach 'Brandenberg Concertos' in their original orchestral form,& so my 'Classical period' began.
I've got all the tunes by Bill Monroe except 'Ashland Breakdown',so i'll be ordering the Kenny Baker CD sometime soon,simply because along with Bobby Hicks,Kenny's my favourite Fiddle player - but very well done by Noam,
Ivan

[Ken_P]

Ken, I'm not telling you not to have your opinion, but you've heard a banjo playing the exact note by note fiddle parts in bluegrass before? That to me was the most amazing part of the whole thing, and I believe the point of the album.

Not that it's not impressive, but Noam is so good that I'd much rather hear his take on these tunes than copying someone else. A couple originals would break it up nicely too. I have no problem with old tunes, but slavish recreation doesn't do anything for me.

[AlanN]

That's why the Bluegrass YYYY series worked so well. They did the standards (in their groove) and also included some outside numbers, like their fun thing G Runs & Scruggs Licks (or something) and a Vestal number or 2. Btw, I recently learned there was a Bluegrass 2001 (thought it was 95-2000).

I'd like to hear the Noam thing.

[John Duncan]

I have no problem with old tunes, but slavish recreation doesn't do anything for me.

I would hardly call them slavish recreations. I have listened to this album about 4 times through now. Noam doesn't get far out by any means but on his 2nd solos he does some really cool things that Baker didn't do.

Same thing with the other pickers. They all improvise.

They also do really wonderful arrangements that aren't the way Baker cut them.

If you want to hear Noam do out there stuff or his originals, you should check out his In the Maze or Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail or all of the stuff he is on with the Punch Brothers.

[Justus True Waldron]

That's why the Bluegrass YYYY series worked so well. They did the standards (in their groove) and also included some outside numbers, like their fun thing G Runs & Scruggs Licks (or something) and a Vestal number or 2. Btw, I recently learned there was a Bluegrass 2001 (thought it was 95-2000).

Those are my all time favorite albums! Thanks to my radio station I was able to find the set (including 2001), and it's basically all I listened to in my car last summer. Still play those a good deal on my show.

[Brandon Johnson]

Agree all around with John here. Noam writes some excellent tunes, and Beat the Devile and Carry a Rail is diverse, beautiful, and surprising. I think the concept of the album is almost my favorite thing about it. I can't think of a lot of people who would want to totally replicate an album, much less replicate exact breaks on a different (much different) instrument. I'm impressed by his line of thinking with the whole concept. Noam's playing is impeccable; timing and tone. Ronnie's mando is interesting, too, giving plenty of nods to WSM and then rounding back out. Sutton's finger-picking break on "Cheyenne" might be one of the coolest breaks on the whole album.

I give the album props for an awesome cover and some cool PR from Punch Brothers and Noam. I got the poster pre-order, which is also really cool.

On a slightly separate note, and this may be a sacrilege, but who wouldn't like to hear Manzanita with a totally different cast of characters? I do like the idea of using the platform of a classic album to gauge the state of the music and the evolution of sound and pickers.

[FodForThoought]

Manzanita with a totally different cast of characters? I do like the idea of using the platform of a classic album to gauge the state of the music and the evolution of sound and pickers.

YES. I still haven't heard a lot of the older essential bg albums, Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe being one of them. I love Noam's album, but I feel like there's a big part of it I don't get to appreciate, having never listened to Baker's album. Manzanita on the other hand will be blasting on my headphones at least three times a week. Also, I didn't realize that all the songs on the album would be instrumentals. Defiantly not complaining, you can't go wrong with that set of pickers, but with Manzanita you'd be getting some vocals. Now the real question is who'd you want on that line up

[Ken_P]

On a slightly separate note, and this may be a sacrilege, but who wouldn't like to hear Manzanita with a totally different cast of characters? I do like the idea of using the platform of a classic album to gauge the state of the music and the evolution of sound and pickers.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Manzanita is a classic album and I love it. I would have zero interest in hearing a recreation of it. It was a product of it's place and time and the result of Tony and the rest being where they were in their careers and musical development. How do you recreate all that? Why would you want to? I want to hear what today's musicians have to say about themselves, not what another group of artists did 35 years ago. Playing a few old tunes because that's what you love and you can play it in a new and interesting way is great - recreating an album track for track doesn't tell me anything other than you seem to be out of ideas.

Maybe that's harsh, and I seem to be in the minority here, but I thought the discussion would be worth having.

[mikeyes]

Just to put some perspective on this album, I bought the original Kenny Baker album when it was new because of all the fiddlers that WSM had, he was not only the best but the one who defined Monroe's work the best. I suspect WSM thought so too since he wormed his way onto the album.

I like Kenny Baker's playing for several reasons: he is a consumate musician and very easy to listen to and he plays the tunes, unlike WSM who is a little more impressionistic in spite of being the composer of the tunes. Listening to Kenny Baker gave me a better appreciation of Bill Monroe's genius and helped me play the music on the mandolin. Back in the 70s I used to hang around the Station Inn (and other now defunct places) when Baker would come in and play these tunes so I have an affinity for his playing.

This album not only was a pleasant revelation to me (I heard a Punch Bros fan call it a parody, of course that person never heard the album) but I was struck by the reverence and honor that the album gave to both Monroe and Baker. This is not a duplicate of the first album, it is in some respects an homage but more importantly it takes the wonderful ideas of Baker and Monroe and presents them in a listenable and inventive way without going outside of the boundaries of the Monroe/Baker theme.

It is clearly not a note for note reproduction, WSM would not have allowed all that guitar, but it is the music.


Mike Keyes

[Josh Levine]

Lonsome Moonlight Waltz is so so good on this.

[dang]

Another props to Noam for putting this out, since I not only got this album but also have purchased the original Kenny Baker Album on iTunes. Each is worth having.

I have listened to each at least 6 times I have been re-inspired about the Bill Monroe music that I, well... as said above I don't always relate to all the recordings I have of Bill Monroe (at least 8 albums) but through the lens of Kenny Baker (and amazing band) and again through Noam Pikelny (and amazing band) I have a deeper appreciation of Bill.

Kinda like Tim O'brien playing wayfairing stranger, he tells a brief story of how he came about his version...