Ever since Earl Scruggs emerged on the scene, others’ able hands have taken the banjo on incredible musical journeys into new territory. To that effect, Jake Schepps is also a pioneer with his banjo tunes. Guys like him reinforce the great potential of the five-string, and they make it look too easy. “Expedition,” the title of his independent self-released album indicates that he knows where he’s headed with his music, but I believe that his purpose is also one of exploration. From Colorado, Schepps and his muscial friends demonstrate an affinity for new acoustic, swing, ragtime, jazz, Latin and bluegrass.

Jake assembled some high powered string wizards from various musical walks of life to assist: Greg Schochet (mandolin, guitar), Ivan Rosenberg (dobro), Eric Thorin (bass), Ross Martin (guitar), Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Kailin Yong (fiddle), Benny Galloway (guitar, vocals), Jeff Hamer (guitar, vocals), and James Hoskins (cello).  These artists have made significant marks on bluegrass, country, swing, honky tonk, salsa, Flamenco/Indian, classical, jazz and new acoustic scenes. Schochet, for example, has performed with Runaway Truck Ramp, All Night Honky Tonk All-Stars and Greenwich Gulch. Rosenberg has played with Steel String Theory, Hit & Run Bluegrass, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, Iron Lasso, and The Creek Jumpers. Thorin toured with the Tony Furtado Band for four years and currently plays with Open Road. For the past six years, Denver-based Ross Martin has worked with The Theory of Everything, Mollie O'Brien, Ron Miles, Tony Furtado Band, The Motet, Nina Storey, Matt Flinner Quartet, Three Twins, Greenwich Gulch and others. Jeff Hamer is with The Single Malt Band and Great American Taxi. This array of experience gives some idea of the talent that’s on-board Schepps’ Expedition that was originally inspired by a Strength in Numbers performance at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Schepps’ current project is the Strings of Tao, an ensemble with two violins, cello and banjo, playing original music, Brazilian choro tunes, fiddle tunes, and beyond. Prior to that, Jake spent 9 years leading trips for The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and teaching emergency wilderness medicine courses around the world. During this intervening outdoor work, Jake has been a guest on stage with Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Runaway Truck Ramp, Hit and Run, Shanti Groove, Greenwich Gulch, Element 37, and Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band. Jake is a frequent contributor to Banjo Newsletter, and is currently working on an advanced instruction manual for the 5-string banjo.

“Expedition” features six instrumental originals, and six other tracks unique to the string-band setting, including two previously unrecorded Benny Galloway songs. The instrumental work really shines, with “Lullaby Luck,” “When I'm 64,” and “Samba de Orfeus” being standouts. “Warbonnet” has a recurring theme that illuminates the tasty original composition. The three vocal numbers are the weakest cuts, mostly because they seem a bit out of place overall and Galloway’s singing is an acquired taste. While this is a banjo-centric album, it’s also full of many stellar guitar, mandolin, cello, resophonic guitar, and bass moments that sit nicely throughout the arrangements.  The exploration covers a gamut of tonal discovery and textural artistic expression. With his Nechville banjo in hand, Jake Schepps takes us on a very exhilarating ride. (Joe Ross)