CHRIS THILE

Whelanslive.com in association with Note Productions Presents

CHRIS THILE

+ JOHN SMITH ****** Due to a family illness, Michael Daves, Chris Thile’s collaborator on the magnificent Sleep With One Eye Open, will be unable to join Chris on the road for his forthcoming series of Irish shows (Whelan’s date is next Wednesday 14th September) On the other hand, we are delighted to announce that John Smith will be flying in especially from the UK to play support for Chris Thile’s solo show. Praised and encouraged by the legendary John Martyn and taken on tour by folk colossus Davy Graham, John Smith is an ordinary man with extraordinary abilities. Already loved by musicians far away from the folk world, like Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, his last album Map or Direction reveals the absolute power and passion of folk performance, and introduces the mainstream to an exceptional new voice. ******

“One of the most important things about this experience was to underline the delinquent side of bluegrass” – Chris Thile

Sleep With One Eye Open, released on May 10 on the highly-regarded Nonesuch label is the debut collaboration between mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile & guitar maven Michael Daves and was recorded live to tape in four feverish days at Jack White’s Third Man studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The album is a collection of 16 high-octane interpretations of bluegrass classics by legends such as The Louvin Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs & The Louvin Brothers. Thile describes the collaboration thusly:

“Mandolin & guitar & two male voices – it’s such a good sound. It was important for us to get that brother duet thing, but with this Lower East Side punk energy”

Chris Thile, described by the Washington Post as perhaps “the most virtuosic American ever to play the mandolin” released the first of five solo albums when he was just 13 and by the time he was 20 he was attracting worldwide attention as a member of the Grammy Award-winning trio Nickel Creek. He is currently best known as a member of Grammy-nominated string band Punch Brothers. NPRs Bob Boilen has said “I’ve seen many musicians in my day but my jaw dropped listening to and watching Thile play.

Michael Daves has been heralded by the New York Times as a “leading light of the New York bluegrass scene” and has been developing quite a reputation for himself through his work with Steve Martin, Tony Trischka & Roseanne Cash in addition to his own blistering solo performances. Daves grew up playing bluegrass but drifted towards jazz and the outer fringes of rock while at college only

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