I have shared some of Chris Thile's music with you before. He was a child prodigy who began composing and performing on the mandolin around age 8. His life and career have taken some crazy turns along the way, and he's not been afraid to try new things and step outside his (and MY) comfort zone.
Thile first became a household name with the publication of Nickel Creek's first CD - a predominantly bluegrass album put together by 3 friends: Thile, and siblings Sean & Sara Watkins. The band branched out from bluegrass and produced some rather progressive sounds on subsequent recordings which were not as popular with the masses (or with me, I might add).
When Nickel Creek disbanded (they had been performing together from childhood), Thile started another band called The Punch Brothers, who toyed in a variety of genres, but again (in my opinion) excelled with their bluegrass pieces. The majority of their self-composed pieces were a little too modern, chaotic, and dissonant for my palate.
Thile's most recent venture is a collaboration with guitarist, Michael Daves, and to my delight, is devoted exclusively to bluegrass. Daves' voice is a tad unusual and perhaps a bit off-putting at first, but it will grow on you! Their instrumentation is simply divine! This is old-fashioned bluegrass at its organic best. Enjoy.
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