Review of How to Grow a Band (2012) by Chris E — 12 Nov 2012

One of the most lyrical documentary films I've ever seen. Extraordinary musicianship is constantly on display; the short, pithy comments by various members of the Punch Brothers are deftly interwoven among shots of rehearsals and concert performances.

Chris Thile's 45-minute "suite for sting quintet" is poignant, sophisticated, and intricate; the group's bravura performance of this piece, most of which is captured in this film, is extraordinary.

This is not a standard documentary; in a way, it is a composition as finely and imaginatively executed as Thile's music.