NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Given Steve Martin's many appearances on "Saturday Night Live," a Grand Ole Opry performance should have been second nature to the veteran comedian. But roughly an hour before making his Opry debut May 30, Martin admitted to a group of journalists that he was a bit nervous.

"I actually came here in 1975 and appeared on a Johnny Cash special. But I didn't play on that stage," he recalled. "We filmed it in a TV studio. I didn't feel comfortable enough to play out there then, and today nothing has changed."

Martin, whose performance was greeted with multiple standing ovations, made his Opry appearance to promote "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo." Recorded with such revered artists as Vince Gill and Dolly Parton, the album was released in January as a digital-only collection through Amazon. The physical version was released May 19 by Rounder and hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart. It remains at No. 1.

"The Crow" was 45 years in the making, according to Martin, who began playing the banjo as a teenager. "I fell in love with bluegrass music in the early '60s," he says. In addition to more recently written songs, the album features selections penned in the '60s and '70s, and was produced by Martin's high school buddy and lifelong friend John McEuen, of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Martin, who prominently featured a banjo in his comedy act during the '70s and '80s, later opened for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. "From the songs he came up with in the '70s to the recent ones, I've always loved his melodies," McEuen says. "They're infectious."

INTERNATIONAL ENDEAVOR

The album, which Martin and McEuen refer to as "the most expensive banjo album in the history of the universe," was recorded in Englewood, N.J.; Nashville; Los Angeles; and Dublin. The last location gave the pair the opportunity to work with the Irish singer Mary Black. "It really wasn't a bluegrass budget," McEuen says with a laugh.

Martin decided to record the 16-song album after a conversation with accomplished banjo player Tony Trischka, who had asked him to play on his album "Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular." "I realized I had a dozen songs and a few more I was working on," Martin says. "I just impetuously booked a studio, got some musicians (and) asked John to produce."

Martin says he was a bit starstruck. "To play with remarkable musicians and then have them play my music was a big thrill," Martin says. "When I was in the studio and heard Vince and Dolly singing my song, I thought about all the great songwriters who never get that shot."

Gill has long been a fan of Martin's musical talent. "A lot of people assumed his banjo was a prop, but I knew it wasn't because I'd heard him play," Gill says. "I knew he had a musician's heart."

Gill isn't alone in his admiration. The banjo legend Earl Scruggs invited Martin to play on his 2001 album, "Earl Scruggs and Friends." Martin shared a Grammy Award with Scruggs (and others) for his performance on the album track "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." Scruggs returned the favor by playing on two tracks on Martin's album.

Martin, who recently performed on the "American Idol" season finale and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," has also appeared on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" to help promote the album. A May 11 concert at Club Nokia in L.A. was followed by three sold-out shows May 27-28 at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York.

"I'm experienced playing in my living room, but I'm not experienced playing live in front of people," Martin says, "especially a dozen songs. I've been doing shows to get more comfortable."

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

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