Ben Sollee can play–and by play I mean play when it comes to the cello. His music is pastel and soothing–a mix of folk and bluegrass and jazz–and is prime for those easy-listening days when you need to relax, contemplate, and think about a lot of things.

His debut album was released in 2008 called Learning to Bend, and between then and now he’s released countless records, written scores for TV and movies, and keeps proving again and again what a masterful songwriter he is. And on this tour his mission is to reinvent the genre of bluegrass, as he hones in on his Kentucky roots and tries to deliver something that’s fresh and different. (Enter here Kentucky Native.) His latest single “Eva Kelley” was released just this year in anticipation of his upcoming release due out next month on Soundly Music.

What Ben Sollee hoped to achieve on this upcoming record was something pure and simple. Keep the instruments clean. Write songs that will resonate with his listeners. And release music that people are both inspired and impressed by. Embracing Kentucky was everything on this record (which it’s always been), and playing an intimate venue like Rough Trade will be prime for showcasing his local flavor in Brooklyn.

Rough Trade

9/21

9 p.m.

$15

Tickets