John McEuen needs only to meander on stage and pluck a few notes on his banjo for the sea of faces before him to erupt in smiles. Direct from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s appearance at the Seljord Country Festival in Norway, he drops by Wolf Trap to open for Willie Nelson.
Along with his always informative narration that audiences eagerly anticipate, he has put together a multimedia surprise for his Filene Center fans.
If you go
John McEuen opens for Willie Nelson
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Info: $45 in-house, $25 lawn; 877-965-3872; wolftrap.org
“This is about the 20th time I’ve opened for Willie,” he said. “It’s always fun to work with him, and when I get going on my guitar, mandolin and fiddle, I’ll take people to places they’ve never been and others they remember with fondness.” McEuen has been a favorite of boomer, bluegrass and country fans for 40 years as a member of NGDB, a solo artist in numerous configurations and producer of CDs, film scores and videos. Among his more than 40 albums are four platinum and four gold awards, not to mention Grammy and Emmy nominations, CMA and ACM awards and the 1989 CMA Album of the Year, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Volume Two,” linking two generations of bluegrass and country stars. In 2002, the NGDB celebrated the 30th anniversary of Volume One with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III.”
The most recent NGDB project is “Speed of Life,” 13 songs chosen from a prospective field of more than 50. The collection celebrating each member as a soloist is chock-full of rhythms, melodies and philosophies that explain why the ensemble and its evergreen music seep into the heart. One of McEuen’s favorites is “Resurrection” composed by guitarist Jeff Hanna’s wife, a tribute to America and where we come from.
“This album is the best we’ve ever done,” he said. “The glue that has kept the NGDB topping itself all this time is persistence, diversity and allowing different individuals in the group to be in front at different times.”
Even as he performs with NGDB, this time on a nonstop tour right up to Labor Day, with only a brief rest before October, he is planning new projects. Earlier this year, he and his lifelong friend, Steve Martin, took the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, “The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.”
McEuen was the producer and arranger, while Martin played his banjo and composed of all but one of the 15 songs. The two have been buddies since high school where they both took up the banjo and began their respective careers working at Disneyland. The recording proves that Martin’s expertise on the instrument is in the stratosphere while Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Tim O’Brien and Irish folk singer Mary Black do some of the vocal honors.
“I’ve always loved Steve’s music and from the time I heard the demos, I knew it would be a winner,” McEuen said. “Everything I do is to reach people and give them something to think about, talk about and laugh about. I’m a performer. That’s what I do. People who want to know more about me can check out my Web site, johnmceuen.com.”
