Wes Corbett: Cascade

They say you can judge someone by the company they keep and that is certainly true of Wes Corbett. Many of you may know Wes Corbett as a sideman to Molly Tuttle and more recently as a member of The Sam Bush Band. This is no accident, his precision and drive on the banjo go beyond the lightning speed often required of five string pickers in the bluegrass world. He plays with a style that brings out the nuances of the instrument and combines those sounds with an astonishing array of influences. The result is this new album, featuring a decade’s worth of original tunes brought to life with the help of producer Chris Eldridge who also plays guitar on the recording. They are joined by Sierra Hull and Casey Campbell on mandolin, Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, Paul Kowert on bass and the delightful addition of hammered dulcimer on some tunes provided by Simon Chrisman.

The tunes are propelled by strong melodies that seamlessly open into improvisation where all the players add their own voices to the ensemble creating something that is at once carefully composed and joyously invented on the spot.

We’ve known Wes Corbett as the consummate sideman for some time now and with this album we get to know another side of this musician, that of composer and bandleader brimming with ideas and new directions. If this new album is any indicator (and I think it is) of things to come, the future is bright indeed.

-Kevin Slick