Short Trip Home

Short Trip Home

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 <i>Short Trip Home</i>, 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 <i>Appalachian Waltz</i>, or perhaps just want to hear one very sublime, genre-fusing take on Americana themes, this disc is perfect for you. <i>--Jason Verlinde</i>