At 65, Steve Martin's "Late for School"

"I am very excited to begin my banjo tour with the Steep Canyon Rangers," commented Martin. "It has been a long time dream of mine to travel around the country with a bunch of guys."


In June 2009 Steve Martin released the album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo* to glowing reviews. Forty-five years in the making, The Crow won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and was Billboard's #1 Bluegrass Album for 2009.

The Crow isn't just a bunch of novelty tunes like "King Tut"—it's an album of songs written and arranged by Martin, with Martin playing some serious banjo assisted by music biz legends Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, Mary Black, and Bela Fleck. One song—"Late for School"—does have a touch of that old Martin novelty to it, and it's been turned into a children's picture book with an accompanying CD. Martin is currently on his 2010 Banjo Tour with the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Martin wrote Shopgirl in 2000, a story I listened to Martin read on CD. He was brilliant at this job because he knew every nuance of his characters. His new novel, An Object of Beauty, will be released on November 23. It's about a Sotheby's intern who climbs the cultural ladder with her charm, ambition, and a few illegal maneuvers.

*Unfortunately, Homewood's copy is overdue but Vestavia's copy should be available when they reopen in November.