This Is What Steve Is Into Now

Other than Steve himself, I'm probably the only guy in southern California with a gold record on the wall for Steve Martin's "King Tut" single from 1978. When I was a music director at a top 40 station in Bowling Green, KY, during college, I made "Tut" a #1 song for a week. The folks at Warner Bros. (Steve's label back then) took note and soon thereafter my WB rep--Gene Dries--gave me the gold, which hangs in the pad today. Covers a nasty stain on the wall.

Point being, I'm a big Steve supporter. And from as far back as the mid-70's when a friend at Murray State--Ray Benton--told me to check out this comedian with Johnny & The Tonight Show who was saying silly things while folding balloons and playing the banjo. Not long after that, he began playing joints normally reserved for your Stones and Zeppelins, hosting Saturday Night Lives and The Oscars, starring in a few films, writing novels and so on. I even liked "The Steve Martin Brothers" album from 1980--not because of the comedy on side 1 (which wasn't so, uh, "comedic") but because of the banjo playin' on side 2.

Fast-forward to now. Steve's new CD on Rounder Records, "Rare Bird Alert," is out. (And thank God for Rounder Records and their dedication to bluegrass and Americana music over the years.) It's a tremendously good set of songs. And even if you don't care so much for bluegrass, you'll probably like this from the CD.

Steve and Steep Canyon Rangers will be on Letterman Wednesday, March 16, The View on the 17th and The Colbert Report next Monday the 21st.