Steve Martin / Edie Brickell - So Familiar

2015 release. Comedian, actor, author, playwright, and musician Steve Martin joins up with his fellow Texas native Edie Brickell (singer-songwriter who initially burst onto the national scene as New Bohemians front-woman) on this, their second studio album collaboration, entitled So Familiar. The Grammy-winning duo showcase an organic, evolving relationship that continues to bring out new creative strengths. This collection's stirring, sublime set of jointly written compositions match Martin's inventive, expressive five-string banjo work with Brickell's distinctive vocals and detail-rich lyrics. The songs also benefit from multi award-winning artist and producer Peter Asher, who contributes expansive arrangements, making imaginative use of a wide array of acoustic and orchestral instrumentation, lending a cinematic quality to the songs' intimate character studies. So Familiar also features a variety of prominent players from the worlds of bluegrass, folk, pop and rock, including seminal banjo ace Béla Fleck along with session bass legend Leland Sklar, Cobra Starship's Victoria Asher, Mike Einziger of Incubus, Emmy-award winning composer/arranger Geoff Zanelli, and Martin's much-acclaimed longtime bluegrass cohorts the Steep Canyon Rangers.