Noam Pikelny
Encyclopedia
Noam Pikelny is an American
banjo
ist. He is a member of the "Americana country-classical chamber music" group Punch Brothers
and was previously in Leftover Salmon as well as the John Cowan Band.
formed. Chris Thile
of Nickel Creek
was planning to form a string quintet, but did not know what direction he wanted to take it, except that he wanted it to include fiddler Gabe Witcher
. After Thile had a jam session with Witcher, Pikelny, bassist Greg Garrison and guitarist Chris Eldridge, he decided he wanted the band to be a quintet. The band was called "The How to Grow a Band" in 2006 when they were the backing band on Thile's solo release How to Grow a Woman from the Ground
, as well as the following supporting shows. After on and off touring throughout 2007 coinciding with Nickel Creek's Farewell (For Now) Tour, the band's name was changed to the "Tensions Mountain Boys" briefly, and subsequently to Punch Brothers
(borrowed from a short story
by Mark Twain
). Punch Brothers released their first official album as a band, Punch, on Nonesuch Records on February 26, 2008.
Pikelny currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. On November 5, 2010, he appeared on Late Show with David Letterman
playing a comedic version of "Dueling Banjos
" alongside Martin, and later performed with Martin and Punch Brothers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
ist. He is a member of the "Americana country-classical chamber music" group Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass band. The band consists of Chris Thile , Gabe Witcher , Noam Pikelny , Chris Eldridge , and Paul Kowert...
and was previously in Leftover Salmon as well as the John Cowan Band.
History
Pikelny was in Leftover Salmon from 2002 until leaving in 2004 to play in the John Cowan Band from 2004 to 2006. In 2006 Punch BrothersPunch Brothers
Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass band. The band consists of Chris Thile , Gabe Witcher , Noam Pikelny , Chris Eldridge , and Paul Kowert...
formed. Chris Thile
Chris Thile
Christopher Scott Thile is an American musician, best known as the mandolinist and a singer for the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek. His current band is Punch Brothers whose most recent album is Antifogmatic...
of Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
was planning to form a string quintet, but did not know what direction he wanted to take it, except that he wanted it to include fiddler Gabe Witcher
Gabe Witcher
Gabe Witcher is an American fiddle player and singer, possibly best known for being a member of Chris Thile's band, Punch Brothers. Witcher started fiddling at the age of 5, and competed in Southern California fiddling competitions until he was 14...
. After Thile had a jam session with Witcher, Pikelny, bassist Greg Garrison and guitarist Chris Eldridge, he decided he wanted the band to be a quintet. The band was called "The How to Grow a Band" in 2006 when they were the backing band on Thile's solo release How to Grow a Woman from the Ground
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground
How to Grow a Woman from the Ground is a 2006 album by Chris Thile & the How to Grow a Band, credited to Chris Thile. It was released on Sugar Hill on September 12, 2006...
, as well as the following supporting shows. After on and off touring throughout 2007 coinciding with Nickel Creek's Farewell (For Now) Tour, the band's name was changed to the "Tensions Mountain Boys" briefly, and subsequently to Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers
Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass band. The band consists of Chris Thile , Gabe Witcher , Noam Pikelny , Chris Eldridge , and Paul Kowert...
(borrowed from a short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
). Punch Brothers released their first official album as a band, Punch, on Nonesuch Records on February 26, 2008.
Pikelny currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Awards
Pikelny was the recipient of the 2010 Steve MartinSteve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. On November 5, 2010, he appeared on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
playing a comedic version of "Dueling Banjos
Dueling Banjos
"Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...
" alongside Martin, and later performed with Martin and Punch Brothers.
Solo recordings
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Grass | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||||
| In the Maze |
|
— | — | ||
| Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail |
|
3 | 27 | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Leftover Salmon
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Live | Compass Compass Records Compass Records is a Nashville-based independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown. Currently home to nearly 100 folk, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, and new acoustic artists, the label releases about 20 records a year... |
| 2004 | Leftover Salmon | Compendia |
Punch Brothers
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | How to Grow a Woman from the Ground How to Grow a Woman from the Ground How to Grow a Woman from the Ground is a 2006 album by Chris Thile & the How to Grow a Band, credited to Chris Thile. It was released on Sugar Hill on September 12, 2006... |
Sugar Hill |
| 2008 | Punch Punch (album) -Credits:*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... |
Nonesuch Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP... |
| 2010 | Antifogmatic Antifogmatic (album) - Bonus Tracks :- All of This Is True EP :- Live from the Lower East Side: It's p-Bingo Night! :- Punch Brothers :* Chris Thile - mandolin, vocals* Gabe Witcher - fiddle, vocals* Noam Pikelny - banjo, vocals* Chris Eldridge - guitar, vocals... |
Nonesuch Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP... |