With their US tour now in full swing, Punch Brothers have made their way through New York State and will be featured on WNYC, New York Public Radio's Soundcheck at 2 PM ET today. The band will play some songs live from the WNYC studio and discuss their Nonesuch debut, Punch. The show airs in the New York City area on the radio at 93.9 FM and streams live at wnyc.org.
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In an article for the Chicago Tribune, writer David Royko follows the ties between bluegrass and classical music all the way back to Pete Seeger's "Goofing Off Suite" from the early 1950s, but recognizes that Chris Thile, with The Blind Leaving the Blind---the classically structured composition at the heart of Punch---and Punch Brothers have created something new.
Looking at the structure of the new piece, Royko writes that while it uses "some sophisticated techniques beyond basic sonata form," it is "grounded in the sonic and---in spirit---aesthetic world of bluegrass." And for all its complexity,
the music remains direct, intensely expressive---with melodic passages that stay in the memory----and reaches a satisfying, powerful climax which, like many symphonies, does not come at the very end, but prior to a dramatic coda.
Royko recognizes the classical inspirations of Brahms and Debussy in the new work, but says that "the music is refreshingly original." Furthermore, he concludes: "This is no crazy quilt with visible seams, but an organic statement that not only starts a fresh branch on the newgrass tree, but on new music, period."
Chris credits his band mates, whom Royko calls a "like-minded bunch of dazzling twentysomething virtuosi," with helping to turn his hopes of creating this new music into a reality. Says Royko, "Leaving space for improvisation reflects Thile's progressive, jazz-influenced background, and his own improvising on the eight-string mandolin has reset the bar for all who follow."
To read the article, visit chicagotribune.com.
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The New York Sun's Steve Dollar concurs, writing of the forthcoming record, Punch
showcases a bristling enthusiasm for fleet daredevilry on all manner of stringed instruments, at once emulating a model of tradition and catapulting the group forward into the unknown. The pieces were written with a sweeping allowance for improvisation, which skews the sound toward a kind of contemporary classical feeling.
The band will be performing tomorrow night at The Allen Room in New York City, as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series, and Lincoln Center's producer of contemporary programming, Jon Nakagawa, tells the Sun: "We like to say that the great tradition of American popular songwriting goes from Stephen Foster to Stephin Merritt. Chris's songwriting is very much in that tradition."
To read the article, visit nysun.com.
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Late last week, the band performed in Vermont, where the Bluegrass Blog had a chance to chat with Chris Thile and Chris Eldridge. In discussing the creation of the new piece, Thile credits his band mates, confirming that it "is absolutely colored by the players." To read the interview, visit thebluegrassblog.com.
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This past Sunday, the guys played to a capacity crowd at The Egg in Albany, New York, leading the Albany Times Union's Greg Haymes to note: "The mandolin is one of the tiniest stringed instruments, but in the hands of a master like Chris Thile, it can make a mighty, mighty sound ... While rooted in bluegrass, the mandolinist has definitely pushed well beyond those boundaries."
Haymes praises the playing of everyone in the band, calling each "an individual master of his instruments," but asserts that "what makes the Punch Brothers such a powerful and unique band is their ensemble work."
In addition to the new pieces off Punch, among the highlights in Sunday's "wildly diverse" set, reports the Times Union, were songs by the Strokes, the White Stripes, the Beatles, and Gillian Welch.
To read Haymes's concert review, visit timesunion.com.
The Schenectady Daily Gazette's Philip Schwartz was also in attendance. He calls The Blind Leaving the Blind "stunning" and the entirety of Sunday's sets "nothing short of brilliant ... simply sensational, filled with both honesty and technically stellar performances." Punch Brothers, he continues, is "a quintet of such deep talent it's almost alarming." To read his review, visit dailygazette.com.
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After playing in New York tomorrow, Punch Brothers head to the West Coast, where they'll play the Wintergrass Festival in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, followed by The Independent in San Francisco on Saturday. As for the latter show, the SFist writes that it is this week's concert "that we 100% recommend," enthusing: "Chris Thile is a genius. Absolute genius."
Click here to pre-order the Punch CD plus free album MP3s, with the exclusive bonus download "Bailey," for only $15.98. The CD and the downloads will be available starting February 26.