Known for his comedic dueling banjos work with the legendary Steve Martin,
the young and prolific banjo player and songwriter Noam Pikelny is a bluegrass
master and member of the Punch Brothers and, before that, the hilariously named
Leftover Salmon. For an idea of his wildly reserved and classically contemporary
sound, take a look at the lineup on his most recent album, Beat the Devil and
Carry a Rail. Produced by Gabe Witcher, the disc features Tim O'Brien, Jerry
Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Chris Eldridge, & Mark Schatz, with Special guests
Steve Martin, Chris Thile, Aoife O'Donovan, & Bryan Sutton. Packed with
impressive and creative melodies, he pushes acoustic music forward and
integrates the banjo into modern music as if it has always belonged there.
