Things with Strings

If you really think about it, it’s kind of amazing how much a musician can do with just some wood and some strings. Consider Ben Sollee’s cello, on which he strums and fiddles and saws and percusses. There’s Alejandro Escovedo’s electric guitar, which wails and growls and spins you around. There’s the tight choreographic nature of a well-honed bluegrass band, the likes of IBMA winners Balsam Range, who have a new album out next week. For good measure, we’re throwing in a vocal record from the great Keely Smith, who didn’t use strings unless you count her remarkable vocal cords. Dig in, groove along. There’s something for everyone.