I remember Steve asking him "just how much is a good, used.. cheap banjo, anyway?" Well, Steve ended up buying that banjo from him, and I think you'll agree, when you hear the Clawhammer Medley on the album, it was a smart move. It records GREAT.

Steve had started working on his own jobs at about 10 years old (selling guide Books in Disneyland, then when I met him he was a stock boy in Adventureland, then we both got jobs at the Magic Shop), and as with everything since then, he paid cash for that banjo.. and that immaculate white '57 Chevy he drove in high school.

Dec. 19 that year, my 18th birthday, a begged for gift from my father appeared. I had my first banjo, a Ludwig. We both got the red Pete Seeger banjo book, both struggling to figure out notes.

Soon my 'career' as a groupie for the Dillards started… I averaged seeing at least 6 -7 of their shows a month, watching Doug like a hungry hawk. I remember during that year showing Steve some of the Dillard (Back Porch Bluegrass), Keith (Livin' On the Mountain), and Scruggs licks (Original Sound and Foggy Mountain Banjo) I was picking up from slowing down those records to 162/3, and from watching Douglas… and usually about half way through Steve would go his own way. But, within a couple years, his own way led to his own tunes, and the ones he came up with often made me jealous. That was then.

Steve has often been kind to say 'John taught me how to play the banjo" or such, but the truth is he picked solidly from the beginning. He was a bit slower to pick things up. Maybe because I was intent on my escape from Orange County.. but he was intent on learning too. I was better at slowing the records down, I guess, and figuring out the notes quicker, but I learned many things from him along the way, too. Nowdays he even complains somewhat about "not being a good enough musician to play around those hot guys" .. but he wrote the music on The Crow. Often those 'hot pickers' write great execises for your hands, but Steve's songs are memorable melodies - music. To me this is like a great period novel being jealous of and intimidated by the dictionary.

Over the ensuing '70's years, every now and then, he would say, "hey, listen to this new tune", and once more he had come up with a new statement for the banjo. Now, "only 45 years later", there are enough for a whole album. Instead of jealous, I am the proud producer of what I think is the best album of new music for the 5-string banjo in 25 years, and that includes my own albums!

I went to several different musical worlds to frame his notes and found that, like his film and book works, there were many different frames that seemed appropriate. I was able to use almost every recording technique I have picked up from doing film scoring - from arranging to recording in advance for something to go along with something else that hasn't been done yet or conceived yet. . . and it all worked out.

The Calico Train, starting as an instrumental, just sounded Irish to me. I suggested Steve to get the coming lyrics to reflect those influences. He did. As Mary Black is one of Steve's favorite singers, I emailed Joe in Dublin (her husband/manager) about our hope to have her sing Steve's song. After she heard a rough version she jumped on board, and on the way back from Dublin on my birthday, three weeks later, I felt like that dream had come true. I hope you like it as much as we do, and find lots of ear cookies in it. It is one of my favorite recordings I have ever made. Slamming my guitar in open tuning with my fiddle bow and bowing it was really fun.. a new sound. By the way, like most of his playing on this album, Steve played this one from top to bottom in one pass.

Since the decision to make Calico longer came in after it was recorded as an instrumental, and because the slow rubato part was led by Steve's banjo.. I had a lot of doctoring to do on the front.. I had Stuart play along with Steve's performance on the basic, the first slow part. Then took out all the basic track instruments from this slow part.. I had to do that because now the banjo slow did not seem to fit.. and when used there was too much leakage from the other instruments.

I made drone sounds with hammering on open tuned guitar and mandolin, bowing my guitar in G tuning, and then in Ireland adding bagpipe drone D, and later overdubbed electric bass. Since there was SO MUCH leakage on all the mics, getting rid of the basic tracks instruments for this part of the song was also necessary because Mary's voice just did not sound good in the slow part with the banjo plinking away, and the original track parts did not fit the vocal no one knew was going to be there when we cut the basic.. but it worked against the mournful fiddle of Stuart. Then .. when the tempo picks up.. it is 'all skate', and everything from the basic is fine. Overall, I feel like this is one of my of recording, arranging, playing and producing high points.

"Pitkin Co. Turnaround" Steve and I had played for years, even once in the '70's on 'the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson' (but it was starring Steve that night), and it got knocked out quick as a double banjo tune. Again, one I wish I had written. The great Chris Caswell and I had so much fun with his three song overdubs it made it sound like some of these songs were written for his keyboard talents. Chris's accordion nestles nicely in the rhythm section. Brittany played a solo on this, as did Russ and Matt, that just like with their other solos on the album, showed they are masters at their craft.

A great team had been assembled with hot licks waiting, and thanks to Tony and Pete for getting many things together for the basic sessions to start in Englewood, New Jersey, at Bennett Studios last July. I let a couple days go by, as we all had to get to know each other, but then had to move faster.. the next days were what I am good at: getting people working together in different rooms on different parts, and putting them in front of the mics when they are just about ready.. We cut 15 tracks in 4 busy days. I then did overdubs in Nashville and Dublin.. and my studio in Hollywood.. mixed a lot at my place, and then at Nick Sevilla's. I had previously worked with Nick many times, and thought he would be the perfect engineer for this. I was right.

Tony and Steve 'murdered The Crow', and 16 year old Jourdan jumped right on top of Banana Banjo. You can find out about the incredible Jourdan Urbach on his website.. just google him. I saw Jourdan at a Carnegie Hall concert in November, and went backstage to meet him. He was performing some classical pieces with the symphony, the field his music is in, and featuring that night a three-part piece Chris Caswell had written for him. I asked him if he would "like to play on a Steve Martin album", this cut, and a couple days later we got it done. I wanted to orchestrate Banana Banjo since first hearing it 30 years ago, because I think banjo can reach a broader audience if it has sounds surrounding it familiar to others, and it lent itself to this 'bigger' treatment. And, that is where the genius of Chris came in. He caught it good with his orchestra; then I plugged in Jourdan, stretched the song from 1:02 to 2:15.. and was shocked about how well it worked. This was Jourdan's first recording session.

In Nashville Oct. '08 Stuart Duncan filled some missing spaces; Jerry Douglas fluxed his way in and put his icing on this Steve cake; Kenny Malone (as much fun to watch as to listen to) kept it moving in the percussion way only he can. Dolly and Vince came to the table and left us with a 'classic old country song', weaving a duet that shows Steve can write 'country'. (I tested this on several astute old-country ears, and they were shocked they had not heard this 'old song', the lyric of which was finished about an hour before it was sung, and surprised to find out the songwriter).

My great friend in music, David Amram, gave many of these songs his im-pick-able worldview, and Tim O'Brien made it sound like his Daddy Played the Banjo. It made my son Andrew cry when he heard this sad song. Tim had a cold the first day, but came in a second time without a fever but hot, and killed it right off. Gary Scruggs gave his vocal guidance that session to this song he co-wrote with Steve, and Tim nailed it.

As we recorded, things would happen. As when Steve wanted to write lyrics for a cool frailing instrumental - Late For School (frailing, like 'nother', is not in the dictionary, but that is a whole nother thing). That 2 _ min song became 3:50 or so, and will set a new mark for most words in one bluegrassy song. Thanks to my protools working well, and a couple years of practice with it for my XM radio show, several things were sewn together.

Going to Capitol Records (the famous round building in Hollywood) for their echo was exciting. They have the best chambers in the world, and as Steve allowed me to work with his actor budget instead of a banjo budget, we went there and got it done. Listen for that sound when Dolly sings 'you' at he end of a sentence. or the last word of any lyric. I used the studio where we (ngdb) did our first Hollywood audition in (1966.. they passed on us. . . but we ended up on Liberty, which years later was bought by UA, then Transamerica, then Capitol bought UA from them) to get that magic echo. Nick also used up everything he had learned, and kept all this in line.

It has been great getting some of my favorite pickers together and laying in to music that I think will stand the test of time. I truly feel that if I was starting now to play, I would spend time slowing down this record to figure out Pitkin Country, and just what are those cool chords climbing up the neck a la Don Reno on Banana Banjo, as well as several of the other tunes. Don't have to now! Tony is writing a book of all the tunes tabbed out! Did I mention Tony's killer banjo harmonies on Wally on the Run? oh, never mind.. he is always good, but this is a high mark for him.

Pete played a solo that was so good on Words Unspoken I wanted him to sell it to me so I could call it mine. Overall, we came.. we picked.. We conquered .. and as we attacked all these songs written by Steve it became apparent that he is a musician disguised as an actor.

This is an album I think you will want to stick in your ears many times. It will take you back to a place you've never been . . . it has me, and I was there.

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