If, upon hearing the news that Steve Martin has a banjo album, you have an image of Martin in overalls and a straw hat displaying a novice’s banjo-picking skills while singing about shit and Shinola, you’re not alone. (Conversely, if you have an image of Martin in a suit with an arrow through his head, playing the banjo and singing about grandma, you’re not alone either.)

The joke’s on us, however, because Martin’s appreciation for and mastery of the banjo is deeper than anyone but the most devoted fan might anticipate. Martin originally picked up the banjo to add another talent to his one-man show, and over time added satirical banjo songs. His comedic career took off, but he never set the banjo down. In 2001, he played with Earl Scruggs on the tune “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” for the album Earl Scruggs and Friends, which won him a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance the following year. In 2007 he played his own tune, “The Crow,” with Tony Trischka on Trischka’s album Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.

Steve Martin, “The Crow” (download)

Writing “The Crow” served as the jump-off point for Martin’s new bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. 14 of the 15 songs are originals, written by Martin and arranged John McEuen, Martin’s childhood friend and member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Most of the tunes are instrumental and traditional sounding. Martin’s compositions show an aptitude for tempo, able to switch time signatures on a dime, and melody, with more than a few refrains lingering past the album’s end. He’s also an impressively emotional player, able to convey sentiment and subject, as projected in his titles, like “Words Unspoken” and “Freddie’s Lilt.”

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