Yo-Yo Ma Gets His Bluegrass On

Classical crossover has taken an interesting turn.  Vanessa Mae and Lucia Micarelli opened a lot of doors, but I have to say I had no idea Yo-Yo Ma was working on a bluegrass project.  Called The Goat Rodeo Sessions (a nod to how hard it was to organize), he has teamed up with some power hitters in the genre, including Edgar Meyer.  This is not his first project with Meyer, and I'm a little saddened that I had not discovered it until now.

Meyer has worked with the other members of the group over the years, but after listening I am surprised there isn't more cello in bluegrass.  It adds a depth to the sound and he really does take turns playing with the fiddle, vocals, even percussion.  Of course, there's a reason he's Yo-Yo Ma and can pull off a change like that.  I have played classical all my life, and started playing Celtic fiddle about a year ago.  It is surprising how much carries over, but whooo, the things that are different are really different.  This is an older video, but the thing that strikes me is how much fun he's having.  It's not every day you get to see YYM jam.