We had a great hour of music on These Days this week.  Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet played in studio for the entire hour.  The quartet's all-star line-up includes banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, Ben Sollee on cello, Casey Driessen on fiddle, and Washburn on vocals and banjo.  The band was a little punchy when they arrived, having driven all night from Santa Barbara to Solana Beach where they slept only a few hours before getting to our studios for a 9:15am soundcheck. They cracked wise and teased each other a lot, even teasing Tom here and there.  For Washburn, the only woman in the bunch, it must be like travelling with three brothers. 

Béla Fleck was so down to earth, very low key and approachable.  Zach, the band's tour manager sat in the studio with us while we recorded and we talked about the challenges of touring non-stop, especially for someone like Béla, who always seems to be on the road.  He said that even when they have down time, when they are waiting in an airport for example, Béla picks up the banjo and starts playing.  Zach says he plays constantly, that "he lives and breathes his art."

In fact, all of these musicians bring so much to the quartet.  Driessen has a unique "chop" style on the five string fiddle, Washburn writes, plays banjo in the clawhammer style, and has a voice that takes you back in time.  And Ben Sollee is versatile on the cello, especially when you listen to his newly released solo record Learning to Bend, as I'm doing right now.  The album htas a soul, R&B sound that I didn't expect from a cellist.  He does a cover of one of my all-time faves, A Change is Gonna Come. 

So take a coffee break and enjoy the performance video of Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet...

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