The Sparrow Quartet at Merlefest Sugar & Pie

[samick911]

McGraw Gap did this on their debut album back in the early 90's.Larry Keel, Danny Knicley, John Flowers, Will Lee.

[susans2nd]

I just saw them at Hookahville and they were great. Her singing is very nice and I don't understand where these comments about the men being sexist and politics are coming from. I think they must be a bit nutty IMHO and looking for attention. Anywho...this song is mislabled and is not Sugar & Pie.

[angelyarn]

No, it is Sugar and Pie, but the song doesn't start until 1:35.

Also, this song is awesome. :)

[tomatogreens]

Okay, well, I dunno about anyone else, but this is some of the most creative songwriting and performing I've ever seen. The mesh of different styles, the sheer complexity of the music--seems pretty open-minded and unique to me! Plus that is some hardcore banjo going on; just because she plays hers clawhammer and it looks less impressive and complicated doesn't mean it is.

As for her voice, I think it's lovely and haunting, almost ethereal. I really don't know where anyone got "monotonous" from.

[tconnarn]

FYI- the two people belows accounts have been deleted from youtube. i checked to see what their musical tastes were, and there was no page there...

[jakkmerridew]

Jesus Christ, why so much negativity?

[tconnarn]

THANK YOU! I don't know what is wrong with those people. I think the Sparrow Quartet is great!

[jakkmerridew]

As do I.

The previous comments played out like a comedy panel- accusing the Quartet of everything from sexism to conservatism to just being unimaginative.

I saw them at Bonnaroo, and they put on a great show. I contend any of these people to create anything as fantastic as the performance in this video.

[oospsosp]

These people seem so conventional that they don't seem like artists at all.

[oospsosp]

I would disagree that they are imaginative. They barely veer off to the left. They are very right winged musicians. Very afraid of doing anything too different. They are sticking to very conservative, conventional, traditional modes of music. They are ultra conservatives, playing for a society of extremely conservative people, unable to enjoy unconventional people. Bela is uptight and conservative, so is his band so it seems.

[oospsosp]

One more thing that proves these people are extremely conservative and uptight. I just saw a world concert with a fantastically gifted virtuoso who is a woman and she was playing with an opened minded liberal man. Bela and his crowd very conservative, old fashioned and believe that women should play way beneathe their level. Bela is NOT a a liberal.

[wnadsoa]

Are these men sexist or what? They pick a woman who can't play on their level and her singing is in one octave and extremely blah, boring ..the men upstage her constantly and make her look like a talentless nothing, unless that is the idea. it is so obvious that they don't want to play with a woman who has as much talent as they do. she is way way way beneathe the men in this quartet.

[bassxcakes]

but she's a great songwriter.

[wnadsoa]

I meant to say that they play exceptionally well. Abigail washburn sounds like people who play at church as amateurs. Her voice is dull, monotonious and unexciting. She definately doesn't upstage anyone. The men upstage her totally and completely in every video and perfomance. I enjoy everyone in their quartet and think they pick nice pieces, but she sings like a robot.

[wnadsoa]

I really think these male instrumentalist are really hot. They pretty exceptionally well and have imaginative ideas for the style they are playing. Abigail Washburn seem way below their level. Her voice is as uninteresting as could be. It is just so blah. I don't enjoy her singing no matter how hard I try to. These instrumentalist could do alot better then this woman, not because she is a girl.

[Berenad]

Its spelled " Kangding Qingge" and is on their new album. Its a great song that Béla wrote (called Old Timey Dance Party) that they paired with a traditional chinese folk song (Kangding Qingge)

[tconnarn]

I don't know the name of this song, because it's in Chinese. When the new albu comes out in June, and i find out, i'll update it for y'all.