Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet
Jul 21st, 2008 by Rosemary
Another review from my colleague Emily Young:
Who knew bluegrass tunes sung in Mandarin Chinese could be so good?
My husband and I were treated to some fabulously bizarre music by Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet at Lowell’s Boarding House Park last night. And I mean that in a good way.
The band features legendary banjo star Bela Fleck, who has been nominated for about 21 Grammys and won eight, which was the draw for us. We quickly came to know the rest of the band — fiddler Casey Driessen, cellist Ben Sollee and vocalist Washburn on banjo — during their intimate, jovial performance.
I was totally unprepared for some of the more modern arrangements, as well as for the Mandarin (Ranger John introduced the group as “artsy.” Should have been a tip-off). Another tip-off: no honky-tonk blue jeans for this crew. The three men wore all black with white ties, while Washburn wore a bright red, strapless dress with a white sash.
I admit the thought, “What have I gotten us into” did cross my mind more than once during the first song, which featured haunting, operatic yodeling. But I rolled with it, and was tapping my foot during the second tune, “Kangding Qingge,” which roughly translates to “Old Timey Dance Party.”
Many songs did sound like traditional bluegrass, including “Kangding Qingge.” Some pieces clearly stemmed from 1930s jazz, while others strongly evoked thoughts of China through the staccato cadence of Washburn’s voice. It was clear that of the musicians are extremely talented; least three bow strings popped last night because they were playing with such force. I think my favorite piece was “Captain,” which was as close to a rock epic as this group is going to get.
The performers exchanged witty banter throughout the show. You got the sense that they truly enjoyed each other’s company, which was infectious. Plus, we learned a lot about the crew on stage, which I appreciated.
Driessen, who often looked like he was going to shimmy right out of his chair, attended Berklee College of Music. Sollee, who plucked his cello like a guitar during a great solo, was once the subject of NPR’s popular segment, “All Things Considered.” Fleck and his other band, the Flecktones, are putting out a Christmas CD in September. And Washburn, who is from Minnesota, purchased her dress at a flea market (an audience member really did ask).
The foursome toured China in 2005 and were the first U.S. band to tour Tibet in 2006, where Washburn’s lyrics went over well with the teens. She noted it was quite a rush to have 3,000 high school students singing along to her Mandarin lyrics.
But the Lowell crowd wouldn’t be outdone. During the encore, a fan from the back of the grassy pavilion requested a song in Mandarin. Yup, bluegrass tunes sung in Mandarin Chinese really can be good.
If You Go
What: Lowell Summer Music Series
Where: Boarding House Park, 40 French St., Lowell
When: June 28 through Sept. 12
How: Tickets are between $13 and $33, which includes processing fees. All seats are general admission. You can informally reserve a grassy spot anytime the day of the show, marking it with a low beach chair or blanket. But you’re solely responsible for stolen or lost items.
More: For the full schedule, go to lowellsummermusic.org or call 978-275-1829.
