Earl Scruggs, Sparrow Quartet
(Benaroya Hall) There is nothing surprising about hearing a string player in Benaroya Hall. But Sparrow Quartet’s Ben Sollee is definitely at the end of the venue’s comfort zone—and not in a novelty hair, playing-the-classics-too-fast kind of way. Given his primary instrument (cello) and pop songwriting smarts, the temptation is to tag Sollee the modern answer to innovative New York producer and composer Arthur Russell. But that misses the mark. On his debut full-length, Learning to Bend, this Louisville, Kentucky, nature boy displays a more robust singing style than the late Russell, and integrates myriad timbres—including banjo, saxophone, and harp—to vibrant effect, striking a curious balance between folk, Tin Pan Alley, and the imaginary America peddled by Aaron Copland. Besides, any ninny can play acoustic guitar. KURT B. REIGHLEY