The life I've picked A banjo player's nitty gritty journey

In 1972, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) released its album Will the Circle Be Unbroken, in which the members collaborated with such iconic bluegrass and country musicians as Maybelle Carter, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis, and Roy Acuff. The album was a huge success and built on the popularity established by their runaway hit, Mr. Bojangles two years earlier. The banjo player was McEuen, and the story behind the album is only a part of his life. In this enjoyable, conversational memoir, McEuen writes about the ups and downs of a life spent on the road as a working musician. He also talks about his relationship with his lifelong friend, Steve Martin, who he met at the Disneyland Magic Shop when they were both teens; the NGDB's 1977 tour of the Soviet Union (the first American group to perform there); as well as plenty of anecdotes of working with the Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Linda Ronstadt. In 2012, McEuen recorded an album with his sons Jonathan and Nathan, The McEuen Sessions.--Sawyers, June Copyright 2018 Booklist

The author was one of the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB), primarily known as a major influence on contemporary country and roots music but, as he details, with tendrils extending into other genres and settings. A combination of hustle and perfect timing brought the band to prominence shortly after its beginnings in 1966; though McEuen has gone and come and gone again from the band's lineup, NGDB itself still exists, an impressive feat of longevity. This book charts a wandering course through McEuen's personal and musical history both in and out of the band, including a solo career studded with his own albums, guest appearances with other artists, and film and television compositions. The book feels more like sitting down with McEuen-after a show, possibly-and listening to stories rather than reading a memoir, and there are a few frustrating narrative gaps that suggest he would have benefited from an interviewer or cowriter to dig out the details and guide his reflections. Fans of McEuen's work will enjoy his stories, though; his long friendship with Steve Martin and his adventures behind the Iron Curtain are particular standouts. Verdict Entertaining, if rather nonlinear and laconic. For fans of NGDB and McEuen in particular.-Genevieve Williams, Pacific Lutheran Univ. Lib., Tacoma © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.