Nickel Creek

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 24 Mar 2001 9:46 pm

Just saw these folks on Austin City Limits and let me tell you, these people are HOT! Very non-traditional bluegrass, with only a mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bass, but man oh man - they cook. The mandolin player is a guy named Chris Thile and he is absolutely tremendous! Lightning fast, machine gun right hand, and clear, crisp, precise noting - all over the neck. David Grisman or Andy Statman ain't got nothing on him, I assure you.

These folks are worth a listen if you get the chance.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 25 Mar 2001 7:05 am

I saw them at a Bluegrass Festival last year. I'll have to concur, they're very good.

And, it's nice to see some young folks playing bluegrass, too. Well, non-traditional, as you pointed out.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 25 Mar 2001 8:38 am

I saw them at work in January. Excellent group for my first time learning at the sound board. I think Chris could bury Satriani and Vai in a shred-off with his mandolin, lol. He's hilarious too with his South Park impersonations during sound check.
They're all very great musicians, especially for being so young(Sara(violin player) is my age).

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 25 Mar 2001 8:46 am

especially for being so young(Sara(violin player) is my age

Fiddle, Corwin -- fiddle!

How old is Sara, anyway? I'm guessing about 20 +/-2 yrs?

PS -- welcome aboard!

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

[This message was edited by David Pennybaker on 25 March 2001 at 08:46 AM.]

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 25 Mar 2001 9:53 am

I don't remember when her birthday is, but at the show(2nd week of January), she was 19. I might be older than her.

KEVIN OWENS · Post by **KEVIN OWENS** » 25 Mar 2001 9:58 am

How can you call them bluegrass, of any sort?
I agree with "violin", for this group, a fiddle is what Benny Martin, Kenny Baker etc....played. They are talented musicians but, it's folk music not bluegrass and those are two different type of music.

Kevin

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 25 Mar 2001 10:35 am

Kevin - these guys are playing PLENTY of music based on Old-Time melodies and rhythms modeled after both synchopated short bow and long bow techniques. The fiddler's style clearly reflects this, IMO. They were playing original tunes on ACL, but several tunes were firmly rooted in traditional fiddle music. One in fact was very closely based on an Old-Time tune called 'Wagoner', or Texas Wagoner'. They clearly go beyond these bounds, but they frequently stick to a 'traditional' framework.

I believe Kenny Baker would tip his hat to her, both technically and stylistically.

[This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 25 March 2001 at 10:36 AM.]

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 26 Mar 2001 4:38 am

They may not be the most traditional "newgrass" act out there, but I agree, they cook. I picked up their cd a few months back, the whole thing is really good. I particularly like their original material, which is a nice mix of old and new.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 26 Mar 2001 8:01 am

I haven't heard them. What is "non-traditional" about them? Is it similar to what they call "newgrass" music?

RMckee · Post by **RMckee** » 26 Mar 2001 8:48 am

I would class them in the "new acoustic" music field. I have been a banjo player for over 20 years. I still have trouble classifying who is "traditional" and who is not. I have always been an Earl Scruggs fan. Flatt and Scruggs were in the "classic" Bluegrass Boys band. Earl does not play melodic banjo. Does that make him a traditional bluegrass musician? If so, why did he get invited to play the Newport Folk Festival before any other bluegrass pickers did? The Earl Scruggs review was not "traditional", however, Earl's banjo sounded the same as it did when he toured with Flatt and the Foggy Mtn. Boys. Nickel Creek plays music somewhat like Strength in Numbers did. They in turn, were moving on the same path which had been followed by David Grisman with his Dawg music. Muleskinner also springs to mind. Tony Rice is another musician who would make a "far-out" (for bluegrass) album and then follow it with "traditional" music as part of the Bluegrass Album Band.

I also thought the bluegrass ensemble behind Dolly Parton's portion of ACL was good. Whether you like Dolly or not, the picking was good. Chris Thiele on mandolin, Bryan Sutton on guitar, and the other pickers. Very tasty.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 26 Mar 2001 12:00 pm

So, it's more like string band jazz?

RMckee · Post by **RMckee** » 26 Mar 2001 12:26 pm

I believe string band jazz would describe them as well as anything. I admit I get too caught up in labels and how inaccurate they are. For example, Reece Anderson plays "swing tuning" almost exclusively. Lloyd Green plays "Nashville" tuning. I have heard Reece play some very country stuff. I have heard Lloyd swing. What do they actually play?

Nickel Creek play music that reminds me somewhat of something Larry Carlton, Bob James, etc., would play. So perhaps they are pop/jazz new acoustic music? Anyway, it was really good. It was not quite as far out as Bela Fleck likes to go.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 26 Mar 2001 1:57 pm

What is "non-traditional" about them?

They are definately NOT in the mainstream of bluegrass like R said, but I believe they derive a lot of their influence from 'mainstream' mandolin players and fiddlers. More importantly, this influence is present in a lot of what and how they play. The analogy about Dawg music is probably pretty good; they have clearly left the bluegrass realm, but a flavor lingers. Norman Blake, for example, plays one whole helluva lot of original (e.g., non-traditional) music, but his music seems hauntingly archaic (notice I did not say 'arkane'...).

So what is 'traditional' music? To me, I prefer the definition that restricts it to music that has been transmitted in the oral tradition - music in the public domain. In the terms of the Southern white tradition, this is usually the 'Old-Time' fiddle/banjo tradition.

'Folk revival bands' such as the New Lost City Ramblers and others were contemporanteous with Flatt and Scruggs and played Newport for years. Yet they were generally far more 'traditional' in the sense that the much of their repertoire was older than many of the bluegrass tunes written or modified after ~1935. On the other hand, the word 'folk' is often equated with the concept of 'traditional' music as I describe it, but it clearly goes beyond this realm. I don't view most bluegrass as being 'traditional' music per se, but it clearly belongs in a forum like the Newport Folk Festival.

BTW, R, I also thought that the musicians behind Dolly P. were excellent. Very tasteful.

FWIW...

I don't know - I like this Nickel Creek. They are very good musicians and they appear to keep one foot at least partially rooted in the past.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 26 Mar 2001 2:02 pm

Do they swing? Or is everything in straight time?

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 26 Mar 2001 3:57 pm

They swing big time.

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 27 Mar 2001 4:39 am

If you go here:
http://www.fieldcrestmusic.com/

and pick the link that says "click here to listen to some samples using real player" on the left of the screen, you'll get to a page that has some nice live cuts from an October 6th concert.

Or, if you go to CD-Now there's a bunch of samples from the studio album.[This message was edited by P Gleespen on 27 March 2001 at 05:00 AM.]

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 27 Mar 2001 11:17 am

There's a lot to admire about this group:
great musicianship and singing. I just don't
find it to be very interesting, or moving.
Like many "hot new country" or "smooth" jazz groups they're extending a tradition and making some references to it. IMO their songs aren't memorable.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 27 Mar 2001 2:58 pm

Bluegrass, folk, who cares? They're fantastic. I saw them open for Lyle Lovett a few months back and they cooked. Chris Beard, the guitarist, is also very talented. He's got a solo album out which showcases his ability quite well. Jerry Douglas makes an appearance.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 27 Mar 2001 4:33 pm

Oh Crikey! Apparently my college daze are still with me. Got the Chris Beard album the same day I got the SEAN WATKINS album. Something that complicated always screws me up. So anyway, the SEAN WATKINS album showcases Sean's flatpicking abilities very nicely. Oh, and Jerry Douglas makes an appearance...blah, blah, blah...

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 27 Mar 2001 6:31 pm

OK - You got me. Who's Sean Watkins?

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 27 Mar 2001 6:50 pm

Sean Watkins is the guitarist. Sara Watkins is the fiddle player, Chris Thile is the mandolin player. Scott Thile(Chris' dad) plays bass on the album. Byron Berline plays bass on tour(how he lives with assembling and disassembling his bass every gig I have no idea).

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 28 Mar 2001 8:27 am

That's Byron House on bass.
Byron Berline is a bluegrass fiddler.

Corwin Colebrooke · Post by **Corwin Colebrooke** » 28 Mar 2001 10:14 am

Oh yeah, oops. I knew it was Byron something. Should've looked at the autograph before typing that, lol.