''Punch'' is the debut
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by
Punch Brothers. It was released by
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch ...
on February 26, 2008.
The centerpiece of the album is mandolinist
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive blue ...
's ambitious four movement suite, "The Blind Leaving the Blind". Thile says the piece was written in part to deal with his divorce of 2004. It was composed over the course of a year and a half using
Finale composition software. About 30% of the composition involves some improvisation, "like a jazz
lead sheet or a written out fiddle tune". Chris Thile has said that his goal was "to fuse the formal disciplines of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
or
classical composition with the vibrancy of
bluegrass or
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
song writing". The remainder of the album was co-written by the entire band.
This album, like the group's previous effort ''
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground'', was recorded live, with only minimal use of
multi-track.
The Bluegrass Blog » Interview: Chris Thile & Chris Eldridge Part 3: bluegrass music news
Track listing
Personnel
*Producer: Steven Epstein
*Engineer: Richard King
*Assistant engineers: Hyomin Kang, Don Goodrick
*Mixing: Steven Epstein, Richard King
*Mastering: Steven Epstein, Richard King
*Cover photography: Autumn de Wilde
*Wardrobe: Shirley Kurata
*Studio photography: John Peets
*Design: Loren Witcher
*Executive producer: Robert Hurwitz
References
External links
Punch Brothers official website
{{Authority control
2008 debut albums
Chris Thile albums
Nonesuch Records albums
Punch Brothers albums