Steve Martin and Edie Brickell w/ The Steep Canyon Rangers live from WXPN’s Non-COMMvention at World Cafe Live from WXPN FM on Vimeo.
A collective gasp arose in Telluride and the greater bluegrass region when we learned that Mumford & Sons had to cancel their appearance at this year’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Nightgrass after bassist Ted Dwayne had emergency brain surgery. But Planet Bluegrass came to the rescue and was able to book Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell, to close the Thursday night show.
I was just listening to an old Edie Brickell song the other day and wondering what ever became of her. And Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers have been eating the bluegrass circuit alive, headlining Bonnaroo and Merlefest, appearing on “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Colbert Report,” and “Austin City Limits,” and performing on the popular radio program “eTown,” alongside Emmylou Harris. Their album “Rare Bird Alert” debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart. The combination of Brickell’s husky, beautiful voice and the gentle bluegrass strains of Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers should help comfort all of the fans who are sad about the absence of Mumford & Sons.