Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet (Nettwerk Records, 2008) is the full-length debut from a chamber-bluegrass ensemble that brought together four technically remarkable acoustic musicians: Washburn on clawhammer banjo and vocals, Bela Fleck on five-string banjo, Ben Sollee on cello, and Casey Driessen on fiddle. The ensemble's instrumentation — two banjos, cello, and fiddle — produces a sound without obvious precedent, crossing old-time singing tradition with the harmonic vocabulary of chamber music. Fleck's three-finger technique and Washburn's clawhammer approach create a polyrhythmic conversation that anchors arrangements of traditional material, Washburn originals, and cross-cultural pieces reflecting her engagement with Chinese folk music. The album stands as one of the more singular acoustic recordings of its era — a genuine hybrid that resists classification while remaining immediately accessible, and one of the more unlikely pairings in Bela Fleck's already varied catalog.
Tracklist
- 1 Overture 2:36
- 2 A Fuller Wine 5:00
- 3 Strange Things 4:55
- 4 Great Big Wall In China 6:08
- 5 Taiyang Chulai 2:37
- 6 Oh Me, Oh My 3:31
- 7 Captain 5:55
- 8 A Kazakh Melody 1:48
- 9 Banjo Pickin’ Girl alt version 2:57
- 10 Sugar and Pie 4:56
- 11 Kangding Qingge - Old Timey Dance Party 4:44
- 12 It Ain't Easy 3:42
- 13 Journey Home 4:14
