The Punch Brothers

Description of the Punch Brothers' Music: bluegrass, folk-rock, jazz, classical

Comparisons: The Punch Brothers are forging their own musical territory, though artists like Bela Fleck have taken similar diversions before. Fans of Nickel Creek and the Infamous Stringdusters may be interested in this group, as it contains some of the same players.

The Punch Brothers Members: Chris Thile - mandolin
Chris Eldridge - guitar
Greg Garrison - bass
Noam Pikelny - banjo
Gabe Witcher - violin

Members of the Punch Brothers Have Played With...: Nickel Creek, Leftover Salmon, Tony Trischka, Infamous Stringdusters, The Seldom Scene, John Cowan, Willie Nelson, Beck, Randy Newman, Jerry Douglas

Purchase/Download Punch Brothers MP3s: "The Blind Leaving the Blind, Mvt. 1"
"The Blind Leaving the Blind, Mvt. 2"
"The Blind Leaving the Blind, Mvt. 3"
"The Blind Leaving the Blind, Mvt. 4"

Recommended CDs by the Punch Brothers: Punch (Nonesuch, 2008)

Punch Brothers Trivia: The name, the Punch Brothers, was taken from a story by Mark Twain, titled "Punch, Brothers, Punch!"

The Punch Brothers Bio: Since the breakup/hiatus of seminal grassrock innovators Nickel Creek in 2007, mandolin prodigy Chris Thile has tried his hand at a couple of different solo projects. The Punch Brothers arose, according to their official bio, mainly out of support for the four-movement masterpiece "The Blind Leaving the Blind," which Thile wrote after the demise of his marriage.

"The Blind Leaving the Blind"

"The Blind Leaving the Blind" is a classical arrangement using bluegrass instruments, which is perhaps one of the things that makes it most notable. The piece, however, is also an impressive instrumental narrative that indicates a new direction for Thile as a composer.

Formation of the Band

Thile and Witcher have a long friendship that stretches back many years, and they had always discussed starting a band together. Then, after the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Thile and Pikelny became friends. They got together in Nashville at a time when Eldridge and Garrison were in town. Thile immediately noted the synergy, and had Witcher come and meet the quartet in New York soon thereafter.

They joined Thile for the recording of his solo album, How to Grow a Woman From the Ground, and then hit the road together behind the record. Finally, after that tour, they hit the studio to record "The Blind Leaving the Blind," as well as four other songs that were collaborative compositions between Thile and the other Punch Brothers. The result is the album Punch, which was released in early 2008.