Pick it, Steve

I've always been impressed by people who have talent in more than one area. And I have so much respect for people who can create music. So I'm especially awed by those who succeed in one field but probably could have done well in music, too. Politicians like Bill Clinton and his saxophone and Condi Rice and her piano. Comedian Jack Benny and his violin. NBA great Oscar Robinson with his flute.

If we were putting together a band of actors, we could have Kevin Bacon on guitar, Clint Eastwood on piano, Woody Allen on clarinet, and I don't know who else, but we'd absolutely have to have Steve Martin on banjo, which is the point of this post.

Many of us remember Martin's early career as a comedian, with that stupid arrow through his head, fooling around with the banjo and saying, "EXCUUUSE me!" But he started playing banjo in high school and has become a bluegrass virtuoso, appearing on the Grand Ol' Opry, playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with Earl Scruggs and creating his own album, "The Crow." There is one non-original piece -- a medley of clawhammer-style songs. The rest were composed by Steve Martin. Below is a link to the title song. It is just exquisite, subtle and haunting. And catch the violin solo.