Chris Thile (pronounced “thee-lee”). If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s not because you’re out of the loop. Nor is it because he’s completely obscure. Widely regarded as one of the best at his craft (mandolin), Thile just happens to reside within one of the lesser-visited sub-genres: Bluegrass. But even to paint him into that corner is not quite fair, for what he does stretches far beyond the banjo and washboard routine.
While you may not know him by name, you’ve probably heard at least something from one of his bands – Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers, Goat Rodeo Sessions… but you’re more likely to have heard it in Starbucks rather than on the radio. All in all, Thile has released 18 albums in the last 20 years (not bad for a guy who is only 32) and is readying his latest release (Bach: Sonatas and Partitas) for August 6.
Thile began playing mandolin at age five and at twelve won the national mandolin championship and released his first album with Sean and Sara Watkins as Nickel Creek. The next year he released his first solo effort, Leading Off. Two more albums were released in the late ’90s, one solo and one group effort.
At the dawn of the 2000’s, Nickel Creek offered their breakthrough, self-titled, major label debut. Thile followed this with his own, Not All Who Wander Are Lost. The band’s releases would prove to be more mainstream, radio-ready fare. Thus, their work – in particular, 2002’s This Side – would garner more attention than Chris’ solo work. In fact, This Side peaked at #2 on the Billboard Country Music Chart. This was my first introduction to Thile’s work as we played it in heavy rotation at Starbucks during my early days there.
This Side is a nearly flawless record and I will review it in depth at a later date. For now, go out and listen to “Spit on a Stranger“, “Hanging by a Thread“, and “House Carpenter“. While each track is individually great, I would hope that they would help to dissuade you of any misgivings you may possess regarding the genre as a whole.
Thile and Nickel Creek each released another album (Deceiver and Why Should the Fire Die?, respectively) before the band called it quits in 2006. In writing this, I discovered that the Watkins siblings went on to play in a group called Works Progress Administration, that will require further investigation. Sara Watkinshas released two solo records to date. Sean released several solo works over the years, but has found his most wide recognition partnering with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot as the duo Fiction Family.
In 2006, Chris Thile released his own breakthrough solo album, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, filled with his characteristic wit, charm, and broken-heartedness. While this is technically a solo record, the live touring of it gave birth to a group of musicians who originally referred to themselves as the “How to Grow a Woman Band.” In 2008, the collective (fronted by Thile) would release their debut record under the moniker Punch Brothers, an aptly titled record – Punch.
Over the years since, Punch Brothers (Thile, Gabe Witcher, Noam Pikelny, Chris Eldridge, and Paul Kowert) have released two more records. While their instrumentation is decidedly bluegrass, their song structures have taken on a classical sensibility in form and structure.
Not satisfied with one successful band, in 2011 Thile teamed up with (arguably) the best stringed instrument players in the world – Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Edgar Meyer (upright bass), and Stuart Duncan (fiddle) – to release the album Goat Rodeo Sessions. The album won the 2013 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
Thile’s next album may prove to be a complete departure from anything we’ve heard before… or it may be the obvious next step on the road he’s been going down. Fully bridging the gap between bluegrass and classical, his upcoming August release will be selection of Bach, on mandolin. Here’s a preview.
in review 