Sony Masterworks

The Goat Rodeo Sessions is a melting pot of string heavyweights, bringing together 17-time Grammy Award winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma, bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolinist Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek) and fiddler Stuart Duncan for an organic blend of bluegrass and classical music. While the ensemble chose “goat rodeo” as the title for the collaboration, a term that Urban Dictionary defines as “a situation that is hopelessly fucked up,” the music tells a different story. Comprised completely of originals written by Meyer, Thile and Duncan, the 11 songs are never chaotic; instead, they are a balance of Ma’s classical patience ( “Franz and the Eagle” ) and the Punch Brothers’ bluegrass rowdiness ( “Atta Boy” ). And when they add the vocals of Aoife O’Donovan ( “Here and Heaven,” “No One But You” ), you’ve got yourself a rodeo that is a true crossover genius.