Elton John Still Wants Some Punch

Back in February, we reported Elton John's enthusiasm for bluegrass experimentalists Punch Brothers as described to Rolling Stone.

In the 28 April issue (sorry, I was out of the country for a bit), he was back at it:

The Punch Brothers are the best jam band I've ever seen. It's like Miles Davis meets bluegrass. I've already talked to them about working together -- I want to make a record with them that combines the Band and Fairport Convention

Wait, wait... "That combines the Band and Fairport Convention"?

Ok, so I'm obviously psyched that Elton John wants to make something that sounds like Fairport Convention. I'm totally in favor of this.

But it doesn't seem like combining The Band and Fairport Convention would be all that much of a stretch, does it? I mean, Fairport Convention's 1969 album Unhalfbricking includes "Million Dollar Bash" from The Basement Tapes, which features The Band, as well as Dylan's "Percy's Song" and "Si Tu Dois Partir" (the French translation of "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"). And in general, it seems like Fairport and The Band are working a lot of the same musical territory.

So "Miles Davis meets bluegrass," I'll give that one to Sir Elton, but he needs to work a bit harder on who he wants to mash-up with Fairport Convention.