With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s second album "Echo in the Valley" is simultaneously familiar and wildly innovative.

“Some of the most interesting things in the world come together in strange and unique ways and show our diversity,” reflects Béla, a 15-time Grammy ® Award winner who is often considered the world’s premier banjo player.

Echo in the Valley is the follow up to Béla and Abigail’s acclaimed, debut album, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, that earned the 2016 Grammy for Best Folk Album.

“We’re expressing different emotions through past techniques and going to deeper places,” he continued.

The results are fascinating, especially considering their strict rules for recording: all sounds must be created by the two of them, the only instruments used are banjos (they have seven between them, ranging from a ukulele to an upright bass banjo), and they must be able to perform every recorded song live.