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Four of the nation's most respected musicians will perform selections from their new CD at a Lied Center concert.

When Edgar Meyer was writing the music for "Short Trip Home," he had three other men on his mind -- classical violinist Joshua Bell, mandolin and fiddle player Sam Bush and multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall.

"Each of the three has such a strong personality," bassist-composer Meyer said.

All of their musical personalities will take center stage Friday night at the Lied Center when Meyer, Bell, Bush and Marshall regroup to kick off a national tour to promote the release of the new CD, which hit record store shelves Sept. 7.

The tour will take the foursome to 15 cities from coast of coast before winding up Oct. 29 in Germantown, Tenn.

The musical genius of the musicians -- who have been friends for 20 years -- lies in their credits:

• Meyer: former member of the progressive bluegrass band Strength in Numbers; member of the Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society; only bass player to receive the Avery Fisher Career Grant; "Appalachia Waltz" with Yo-Yo Ma and Mark O'Connor; "Uncommon Ritual" with Marshall and Bela Fleck; appearances with Garth Brooks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, the Indigo Girls, the Chieftains.

• Bell: classical performances with top conductors and orchestras around the world; "Gershwin Fantasy" with composer-conductor John Williams; soundtrack for "The Red Violin," for which he was artistic adviser, body double and the soloist heard throughout the film.
• Bush: founder of Blue Grass Revival; former member of Emmylou Harris' Nash; played with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and Lyle Lovett; recorded with Leon Russell, Doc Watson, Steve Earle, Garth Brooks, Steve Wariner, Trisha Yearwood and Pam Tillis.
• Marshall: master of mandolin, guitar and violin; member of the original Dave Grisman Quintet; former member of Montreux Band, Modern Mandolin Quartet, Psychograss and Darol Anger Mike Marshall Band.

Meyer said "Short Trip Home" began as a duo project with Bell, whom he met at Indiana University. Bell was a 12-year-old prodigy at that time and Meyer was a 19-year-old novice at the music school.

"For years Josh and I wanted to do a project," he said, adding that Bush and Marshall eventually were asked to come aboard.

The process of writing and recording the album was "varied," he said. For example, Bush and Marshall would show up with a musical hook, Meyer would put a melody on top of it, and Bell then would rewrite his part because it would be too simple.

"It's a creative environment when we get together," Meyer said last week during a phone from Nashville, Tenn. " " Sam is a rhythmic powerhouse and an upbeat musician, and he likes to keep it energetic. He can take something simple and make it fun to play. Josh has a beautiful melody voice (with his violin) and the ability to take it to new places.

"A lot of it is chemistry, and it's totally unpredictable," he continued. "I wasn't sure how it would go. It went better than I thought it would."

After the "Short Trip Home" tour, Meyer and Bell will return to the studio in December to finish recording an album of four bass concertos that includes pieces by Meyer and Giovanni Bottesini and features Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Hugh Wolf and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. And in February, "Appalachia Waltz II" will be released.

But most of all, Meyer is looking forward to spending hours practicing his bass playing.

"I want," he said, "to explore the instrument from the ground up again."

-- Jan Biles' phone message number is 832-7146. Her e-mail address is jbiles@ljworld.com.

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