Punch is one of the most important bluegrass-rooted albums since Bela Fleck's Drive, and a compelling example of the possibilities for a modern bluegrass ensemble. The Punch Brothers, all musicians who mastered their instruments within the bluegrass tradition, break new ground with this record. Led by Nickel Creek's mandolin player Chris Thile, the musicians execute the music with clarity, sensitivity, and life.

Some of the harmony employed on this record, to my knowledge, has never been used by an Americana-rooted band before. Many bluegrass traditionalists would consider the use of bitonality and dissonance outside of common tonal practice to be sacrilegious. Progressive bluegrass, such as Bela Fleck's Acoustic Planet and Tony Trischka, has strong jazz and world music influences. Punch embraces even more diverse musical influences; many of the frequent dissonances recall 20th century Russian composers like Shosticovich and Stravinsky. The band perfoms with changes in texture, move in and out of meter, and other techniques more common to modern classical music and film scoring.

Thile through-composed much of the record--the musicians' parts and don't repeat, such as in a common verse/chorus form. Many of the progressive aspects of the album result from this removal of the ensemble from strophic forms where everyone creates their own part out of a predictable bluegrass vocabulary. But this format does not come across as antithetical to bluegrass; there is a authentic sense that the music developed out of the bluegrass tradition. The band's ability to transition between a driving bluegrass sound and the more contemplative, orchestrated sections is remarkable. Even in the most esoteric sections of the pieces, a wailing pentatonic or a backbeat remains, keeping the listener grounded in the American vernacular.

The recording itself is transparent, without the heavy compression, booming bass, and flat levels found on many modern recordings. Nonesuch records specializes in classical music, so it is no surprise that the sound of the room and comes through clearly and the instrument mics bleed together.

I have listened to this album many times already, and I discover new things with each listen. For myself as a progressive traditional musician, this is an inspiring and thoroughly satisfying album.

I had this beer from the tap last night at the Tap & Mallet on Gregory St., and it is about as good an IPA as I could ever ask for. The aroma is hoppy, powerful, and swirling. The taste has the crisp bitterness of the hops up front, like any good IPA will, but the finish is sweet, lingering, and complex. There is some heat in the finish, too, from the high alcohol content. Some raisin, pale malt, and rich fruit-like flavors crawl under the weight of the hops, giving it a great balance and fullness.

It amazes me how creative American microbreweries are these days. I don't even bother drinking imports anymore. I recommend this beer to all beer drinkers, and especially those who love IPA.

The Golden Link Folk Singing Society brought Bruce Molsky to Rochester last night. He performed solo on fiddle, banjo, and guitar. I am a fan of Molsky's music and feel he is one of the best old-time fiddlers in the world. He played in several other styles last night, including West African guitar and Bulgarian dance music. It was an inspiring display of musicianship and tradition.

Old-time performers often limit themselves to playing the melody, and I've even spoken to old-time musicians who don't feel that improvisation is an important part of the tradition. Molsky is an improviser, and performs with improvisation at the heart of traditional music. He adds harmonies and licks to old-time melodies, stretches song forms out to accommodate extended phrasing, mixes up rhythms, and makes every tune particular to his style and voice. Unlike bluegrass, in which improvisation is structured around the soloist, improvisation in old-time music is a more organic process. There is no specific soloist, and the tune becomes a vehicle for energy and in-the-moment communication between musicians. Molsky's performance last night inspired me to continue pursuing my convictions about improvisation as the beating heart of traditional music.

I had a chance to speak with Molsky for a few minutes last night, and I asked him how he ended up a professional musician. He worked as a mechanical engineer for twenty years after dropping out of Cornell. Ten years ago he gave himself one year to try and be a full-time musician as a "what if." Now he tours the world with his wife; as he put it to me, "It's a great feeling to wake up in the morning, and the first thing you think about is music." He encouraged me to keep playing for the love of it and perform at as many dances as I could.

I first saw the Foghorn Stringband perform in Kilborne Hall at the Eastman School of Music with Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus in March of 2005. It was a great excuse to splatter a space usually treated with classical music etiquette with hoots and hollers. Based out of Portland, Oregon, Foghorn is not an attempt to reproduce a 19th century dance band, but they are a traditional American stringband in the best sense. They perform with a raw intensity that captures the spirit of the old time tradition while making the sound their own. Foghorn plays with the conviction that old-time music is still relevant in a post-modern world, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Weiser Sunrise is Foghorn's third album, and features the same personnel as the previous two albums, Rattlesnake Tidalwave and Reap What You Sow. One characteristic that distinguishes Foghorn's sound is the 3-finger style (or Scruggs style) employed by banjo player P.T. Grover Jr., which gives songs unique rhythmic color and a driving feel. Grover plays the melody in approximate unison with fiddler Stephen Lind and mandolinist Caleb Klauder. Klauder's mandolin gives a percussive jolt to phrases, playing in exact unison with the fiddle. Together the three deliver melodic lines with clarity, vigor, and stylistic perfection. This egalitarian approach to melody challenges the attitude often found in the old time scene that old time music is all about the fiddle. Bassist Brian Bagdonas and guitar player Kevin Sandri are undoubtedly one of the best rhythm sections on the old time scene. They are so solid that it's easy to take them for granted as they lay down the foundation to Foghorn's sound.

The song selection is well balanced, with standards like Mississippi Sawyer and Sally Anne and more obscure tunes such as Kicking Up The Devil On A Holiday (my favorite cut on the album). The recording itself is transparent and clean. Like their other albums, Foghorn picks both instrumental and vocal songs of varying tempos in both duple and triple meters. The singing of Lind, Klauder, and Sandri is understated and feels like it grows naturally out of the music rather than being featured specifically.

I highly recommend this spirited and unpretentious album from one of the best old time stringbands in the country.