The Crossing
The artist himself calls this project "the inevitable next step for a bluegrass singer-songwriter in his mid-40s named O'Brien," but in this description O'Brien sells himself short. It's only the "inevitable next step" for a musician who is passionate about his craft and his culture, conscientious about his music's deep roots, diligent in their exploration, and bold enough to celebrate them. O'Brien organizes a sort of family reunion that brings together Irish folk, its Appalachian old-time son, and its bluegrass grandson. Like with any family, all of these musical generations enjoy many shared traits and these similarities are brilliantly accented across 16 diverse yet related songs. O'Brien taps a number of resources, ranging from traditional Irish musicians like fiddlerFrankie Gavinand wind playerSeamus Eganto bluegrass stalwarts likeEarl Scruggs,Del McCoury,Stuart Duncan, andJerry Douglasto modern old-time enthusiasts such asDavid GrierandDirk Powellto new-acoustic pickers likeDarol Anger,Edgar Meyer, andMike Marshall. O'Brien even enlistsGuy Clarkas lyricist for "John Riley" and unveils a marvelous original talking blues ("Talkin' Cavan") done inDylanesque style. The result is an album that is both ambitious and comfortably traditional.--Marc Greilsamer