Who are the hidden talents of Mandolin? [Archive]

Andrew Reckhart

Apr-11-2005, 7:13pm

I've heard about Tony Rice being quite a mandolin picker, but I don't know if it is true or not. I wouldn't doubt it for a second. When you are as good as him you can probably play anything pretty well.

Bob Sayers

Apr-11-2005, 7:56pm

Mike Seeger, Vince Gill... Probably could think of some others.

Bob

J. Mark Lane

Apr-11-2005, 8:00pm

Jimmy Page

diamond ace

Apr-11-2005, 8:31pm

Jimmy Page? Realy? thats cool.

pickinpox

Apr-11-2005, 8:46pm

Hunter Berry http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Billiam

Apr-11-2005, 8:52pm

Richard Thompson is known as a singer/songwriter/guitarist, but also plays mando some (and co-wrote a book on electric mandolin with Niles Hokkanen).

fatt-dad

Apr-11-2005, 8:57pm

David Bromburg, Orrin Star

Nathan Sanders

Apr-11-2005, 9:47pm

I guess you could say Marty Stuart began as mandolin player with Lester Flatt, but achieved super star status later as a big hair, electric-guitar playin', honky tonkin' country dude.

Juice6120

Apr-11-2005, 9:52pm

Rory Gallagher loved his Martin A and picked on mando's prior to plugging in. Cork Home Of Paddy Irish whiskey !
I have some Steve Winwood playing barleycorn acoustic with a mando. And he played all that electric with Traffic. Last but not least Nancy wilson has a nice oval hole mandolin collection and Loves her Mandolins Esp her late teens F4

mandocrucian

Apr-11-2005, 11:09pm

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
Dave Pegg (bassist for Fairport Convention, stint as bassist in Tull)
Ry Cooder
David Lindley
Clarence White
Johnny Winter
Ritchie Blackmore
Albert Lee
James Burton
Duke Levine
Dave Grissom (guitarist for Joe Ely)
John Paul Jones (Led Zep)
Davey Johnstone (Elton John's guitarist)
Danny Levin (ex Asleep At The Wheel)
Johnny Gimble
Pierre Bensusan
Paul Barerre (Little Feat)

Milan Christi

Apr-11-2005, 11:52pm

Wow - Bensusan playing mando? I've never heard him play it but I surely would like to. Is he playing it on on any of his albums?

Klaus Wutscher

Apr-12-2005, 2:29am

Pierre Bensusan is a pretty good mando player, he played with Bill Keith in the 70ies and has two tracks with mandolin on his first album which is great.

JimRichter

Apr-12-2005, 4:03am

Much like Marty Stuart, where those of us in the bluegrass community knew him as a mandolinist before he went off to fame and fortune as a guitarist, there are a few others:

Ricky Skaggs--whose entire livelihood in the 80's was playing guitar

Dan Tyminksi--how often do you see him play mando now unless it's a guest spot on a buddy's bluegrass record

Jim

Klaus Wutscher

Apr-12-2005, 4:28am

Chris Hillman another great player who is primerally known as a singer/bass player

bjc

Apr-12-2005, 6:05am

JOhn Jorgenson from Elton John's band and the Hellicasters who played Django in a movie...plays a mean mando, though he's known for his guitar and horn work.

Bradley

Apr-12-2005, 6:19am

[QUOTE]Ricky Skaggs--whose entire livelihood in the 80's was playing guitar

I can remember seeing Ricky several times during the 80's and early 90' during the country thing. What blew me away was that he would often times play 2-3 instruments on each song.

I recently bought a Gospel DVD with Marty playing Mandolin
on it...you cant help but love that guy and man he smokes that thing!!

fatt-dad

Apr-12-2005, 7:36am

Didn't Darryl Hall and John Oats start out as a bluegrass-type duo, one of them on mandolin? Needless to say, they didn't make any money doing that so they moved onto pop.

fatt not-trying-to-start-rumors dad

swampstomper

Apr-12-2005, 7:39am

Woody Guthrie could barely play guitar :-) but he did write a catchy mandolin tune, probably the only one he could play! It's tabbed in one of the old Pete Seeger books.

onlyagibsonisgoodenuff

Apr-12-2005, 7:41am

Michael Cleveland is pretty handy with a mandolin.

FlawLaw

Apr-12-2005, 8:01am

I believe Allen Woody started out on mandolin and Sting plays mandolin on a few of his songs, John Paul Jones plays mandolin, and Mark Schatz...

clopez

Apr-12-2005, 8:03am

David Blackmon here in Athens, GA is a fine mandolin player and a helluva fiddler.

Christian

David M.

Apr-12-2005, 8:03am

Nigel Tufnel. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Oh, and Buddy Miller.

mandocrucian

Apr-12-2005, 8:20am

Martin Carthy
Steve Earle
Martin Barre (Jethro Tull's lead guitarist)
Danny Gatton
Cesar Rojas (Los Lobos)
Dave Swarbrick
Terry Woods (Pogues, Woods Band, Sweeney's Men)

also known to sometimes play mandolin:
Steve Tyler (Aerosmith)
Zoot Horn Rollo (Captain Beefheart's Magic Band)

(was Allen Woody the r.i.p. bass player from Govt. Mule that had that mando/bass doubleneck? Couldn't remember the name)

BTW, re: Vince Gill and Marty Stuart. #I've got several of those PBS bluegrass specials on videotape. The ones where there may 6 or more mandolin players onstage on the same number. No slight on the "name" mando players on those show, but from what I heard and saw, my reaction was that Vince Gill and Marty Stuart were the best of the batch. (And Big Hair Marty, in general, has always gotten on my nerves, but he's really got the stuff.) IMO, it's all their guitar work which gives them a wider palette of playing techniques and #vocabulary which gives them the advantage. And Vince Gill is a great guitar player even though his vocalist/frontman image is how most folks think of him.

Niles H

John Flynn

Apr-12-2005, 8:27am

Steve Winwood plays a great mando part on "Back in the Highlife."

straight-a

Apr-12-2005, 8:46am

It's been many years but didn't Seals & Crofts play mandolin?

MandoNoob

Apr-12-2005, 9:01am

Chris Comac.

I guarantee he's the greatest player you've never heard of.

FlawLaw

Apr-12-2005, 10:03am

"(was Allen Woody the r.i.p. bass player from Govt. Mule that had that mando/bass doubleneck? Couldn't remember the name)"

Yes, that's the one, also played bass with the Allman Brother's Band.

ManjoMan

Apr-12-2005, 11:18am

I know that Ricky Skaggs started playing professionally with Ralph Stanley playing mandolin with him, but later as he got more well known, he landed jobs playing fiddle with the Country Gentlemen, then with J.D. Crowe, switching back and forth, then playing fiddle with Emmylou. All of this before he went country. There are a lot of details that I have left out, but I think Ricky would have become famous even if he played the wash-board!

As a reminder, Doyle Lawson's first professional music job was playing banjo with Jimmy Martin. Later, he went to work with J.D. Crowe playing guitar. Don't you just hate guys like that!

Thomas

Apr-12-2005, 11:23am

Russell Moore with IIIrd Tyme Out started out as a mandolin player. Dan Tyminski started as a banjo player, but have never heard him play one. He is one of my fav mando players and his style is hard for me to duplicate.

jstone999

Apr-12-2005, 12:04pm

Never heard Doc Watson play the mandolin, but reputedly he plays well. He can play the heck out of the banjo as well.

jeffstone
goettingen

bsimmers

Apr-12-2005, 12:11pm

Ron Pennington
Ray Legere
Byron Berline
Pat White
and too many to mention

Scotti Adams

Apr-12-2005, 12:18pm

..Big Dan T. is also a mean fiddle player..

Michael Gowell

Apr-12-2005, 12:21pm

That Woody Guthrie mando tune is "Woody's Rag"...very simple, but infectious once you find the syncopation of it... it's in Jack Tottle's book 'How to Play Mandolin'.

dgillespie

Apr-12-2005, 1:07pm

Bela Fleck

Tom C

Apr-12-2005, 1:59pm

Yeah Doc picks a nice Texas Gales. I think that was the only recording of him on mando.

Jeff A

Apr-12-2005, 2:15pm

Matt Phillips, original second mando in the David Grisman Quintet, now a great bass player.

Tom C

Apr-12-2005, 2:17pm

Do you mean Todd Phillips?

Jeff A

Apr-12-2005, 2:20pm

Brain f*** . Yup Todd Phillips. Love the stuff he does with Matt Flinner and David Grier.

Patrick Gunning

Apr-12-2005, 4:22pm

Also regarding the Grisman quintet, Joe Craven is just amazing. That guy can get music out of anything, especially the mandolin. He strings his two low courses on the mandolin in octaves - interesting...

Apr-12-2005, 4:28pm

Yes Marty Stuart is very good. You should see him on that Gaither Bluegrass homecoming movie. Great stuff! But i dont know what to look at his hair or his mando. HA Ha

Kbone

Apr-12-2005, 5:29pm

Danny Gatton ! wow , I sure do miss him , one of the all time greats.

John Rosett

Apr-12-2005, 8:30pm

keith-
i've heard danny play guitar, banjo, pedal and lap steel, and dobro, but i've never heard any mandolin. do you know of any recordings of him playing mando?
john

mandopete

Apr-12-2005, 9:45pm

It's been many years but didn't Seals & Crofts play mandolin?
At the same time?

mancmando

Apr-13-2005, 7:43am

Chris Comac.

I guarantee he's the greatest player you've never heard of.

I'm lucky enough to have jammed with Chris, and can vouch for that... (he made my lebeda sound great).

There is a guy called Marc Atkinson who plays with a band called the Bills (From Canada I think) who is really good, and I think is mostly a jazz guitarist... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
[QUOTE]

mancmando

Apr-13-2005, 7:45am

sorry - first time I@ve used a quote (see above), and I messed it up...

Andrew Reckhart

Apr-13-2005, 12:41pm

Can anyone verify whether Tony Rice plays mandolin? I've heard that he does, but nobody has ever been able to verify it for me.

Andrew Reckhart

Apr-13-2005, 12:43pm

I've also hear that Joe Satriani plays mandolin. He's recorded banjo before, so it wouldn't surprise me if he also plays mandolin.

Daniel Nestlerode

Apr-13-2005, 12:56pm

Joe Craven is just amazing. That guy can get music out of anything, especially the mandolin. He strings his two low courses on the mandolin in octaves - interesting...
Heck yeah! Joe should be mentioned in any list of great perfoming mandolin players, though when he's with Grisman he naturally takes a back seat. It's a sideman gig for him and his role is usually mostly percussion with some fiddle thrown in.

When I took a class from him last month he had his Gil strung up with the D course in octaves and the G course normal. It kills the chop, but it makes the mandolin more sonorous. Joe said the hardest part was keeping it in tune. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif It's a neat idea, and as soon as I get around to it, I'm going string up my old Kentucky like that.

As for hidden mandolin talents, someone in Toad the Wet Sprocket plays some tasty stuff throughout the album Fear. Best heard in the car or with headphones.

mandoJeremy

Apr-13-2005, 3:08pm

Andrew, yes Tony can play mandolin and several other mando family instruments. Wyatt can also play some pretty interesting things on mandolin.

Nathan Sanders

Apr-14-2005, 9:25am

On a related note to this topic, have you ever heard David Grisman play guitar? Just wondering.

Daniel Nestlerode

Apr-14-2005, 10:42am

On a related note to this topic, have you ever heard David Grisman play guitar? Just wondering.
Isn't there a cut on Tone Poems where Tony Rice and Dawg both play guitar? I could be mis-remembering that.

Daniel

Nathan Sanders

Apr-14-2005, 11:36am

DNestler,

I don't think so but I will check. I have the CD but I just remember it as Rice on guitar and Grisman on mandolin, different vintage guitars and mandos on every track. Cool CD! Great booklet too.

mandocrucian

Apr-14-2005, 12:03pm

Rice played mandolin on "Ricochet" on the (first) David Grisman Quintet album if memory serves correct.

NH

Mandomax

Apr-14-2005, 12:33pm

I don't have the album in front of me, but I'm pretty sure Tony wasn't pickin' mando on that. It was a three mando line up on "Ricochet" with Dawg, Todd Phillips, and Darol Anger on third mando. Cool diagram of their studio set up in one of the early MWNs.

bluesmandolinman

Apr-14-2005, 2:30pm

Steve James
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Big Jack Johnson

Blues guitarists with cool mandolin playing !

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

adda_as

Apr-14-2005, 2:37pm

Why am I not mentioned? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Daniel Nestlerode

Apr-14-2005, 6:54pm

Ahh, I have discovered it.
Grisman plays guitar on Tone Poems II. The cut I'm listening to on headphones as I type this is "Teasin' the Frets." I'll bet he does it on "Anything Goes," "Musette for a Magpie," and "Over the Rainbow" (from the same album) too. I'm not going to skip ahead because I'm enjoying the music too much! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Best,
Daniel

Enric

Apr-15-2005, 12:41am

Aubrey Hainey, known mainly for fiddle, really swings on his Gilchrist.

Rick Schmidlin

Apr-15-2005, 1:09am

Steve Winwood.

I saw a music video that featured him on mandolin,

fatt-dad

Apr-15-2005, 7:30am

What about that clarinet player in NYC? I really need to listen to what he has recorded and that up-coming disc on the home page of the 'cafe has me anxious for the release.

fatt I'm-not-Andy-Stateman dad

ourgang

Apr-15-2005, 12:52pm

Larry Sparks plays a pretty good mandolin also. Same style as he plays guitar. Hear him on "Blue Mountain Memories".

FlawLaw

Apr-15-2005, 1:23pm

On a related note to this topic, have you ever heard David Grisman play guitar? Just wondering.
I heard him play banjo once and he was not very good.

John Rosett

Apr-16-2005, 11:27am

that "clarinet player from nyc" is andy statman, who recorded many albums on mandolin before becoming know as a clarinet virtuoso. he played on the early country cookin' albums, and with tony trishka, stacy phillips, david bromberg, etc. the fact that he's not more well known in the mandolin world is a real mystery to me.
now, let me return to the topic at hand.
last night, on the way to the gig, we listened to the ventures album "telstar/the lonely bull" the lead instrument on the songs "the lonely bull" and "never on sunday" is mandolin. i'm assuming that nokie edwards is playing mando, but it wasn't listed in the credits. nokie edwards is a very famous guitarist, and the ventures were a very popular band in the sixties.
john

Apr-16-2005, 11:51am

On a related note to this topic, have you ever heard David Grisman play guitar? Just wondering.

Yes i have. I have a cd with him playing guitar on a few songs. I dont know what it is but im pretty sure its on the acoustic disc label.

Peter Hackman

Apr-16-2005, 1:25pm

Peter Hackman

Apr-16-2005, 1:30pm

swampstomper

Apr-16-2005, 4:58pm

Doyle Lawson began with Crowe as a mandolinlist. Red Allen (!!) was the guitarist / lead singer; they recorded Bluegrass Holiday in that configuration in 1969. Then Red had a disagreement (not surprising) and left; Larry Rice joined as lead singer but he was a mando man. Doyle moved to guitar (still singing tenor) for the all-time classic Rambling Boy (retitled Blackjack) and Model Church LPs in 1970. Then Doyle left for the Country Gentleman and was replaced by Tony (who he?) Rice by summer 1971, Larry still on mando. I saw them all during this period.

So for the purposes of this thread -- Doyle was first a mandolinist with JD but was a dynamite Jimmy Martin clone on rhythm guitar, complete with those patented Jimmy Martin "high bass" licks.

Andrew Reckhart

Apr-17-2005, 8:04am

Thanks for all of the great replies. I've already learned a ton!

James P

Apr-20-2005, 1:46pm

I'd love to hear what David Rawlings could do on a mandolin.

Plamen Ivanov

Apr-21-2005, 2:17am

No one mentioned Peter Buck so far, or may be I missed his name. Also Tommy Shaw from Styx plays mandolin in their probably most popular song "Boat on the River". By the way I`m still looking for tab or standard notation for the mandolin part. I personally was surprised to see Martin Baree to play mandolin instead of Ian Anderson, which was my expectation, but he really did.

Good luck!

Jun-13-2005, 9:22pm

That Woody Guthrie mando tune is "Woody's Rag"...very simple, but infectious once you find the syncopation of it...
guthrie didn't write music. he wrote words to existing songs, mostly carter family songs. do you know the orginial name?

Philip Halcomb

Jun-13-2005, 11:41pm

On a related note to this topic, have you ever heard David Grisman play guitar? Just wondering.
Grisman plays a pretty good guitar. There was some stuff in the 60's he did with Frank Wakefield where he played a pretty mean bluegrass rythym guitar... I'll try to find out if there are any recordings and post them later...

pickinpete

Jun-13-2005, 11:46pm

I don't believe anyone mentioned Martin Taylor,
who plays "If I had you" on his collaboration with
Grisman, Beginning to se the Light. In a strict jazz sense
his playing is more convincing than Grisman's
(his greatness lies elsewhere) although he
claims he "can't get it together".
aaaawwwww thats it man, its on, me and you pal! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif just kidding.I respect your opinion...but I disagree. Between the IBTSTL album with taylor and So What with garcia, I think the dawg has proven his jazz credentials...with me anyhow.

Jim Yates

Jun-14-2005, 3:43pm

In the sixties, Pete Seeger had a TV show called Rainbow Quest. He had different guests each week and usually played with the guests on at least one song. One week he had his brother Mike's group, The New Lost City Ramblers as his guests and for one tune where no one else was using the mandolin, Pete picked it up played a very impressive break. These shows have been re-released on videotape and are still very entertaining.

Brian T

Jun-14-2005, 4:00pm

The 'Ragin' Cajun', Doug Kershaw can tear a mandolin up just like he does the fiddle.

PatrickH

Jun-14-2005, 4:20pm

Cody Kilby (sensational flatpicking guitarist from Kentucky Thunder) once won the Winfield Mandolin championship. How does that happen?

Yonkle

Jun-14-2005, 10:43pm

[QUOTE]It's been many years but didn't Seals & Crofts play mandolin?
UHH! I think just Croft did! However I have wondered what happened to those guys too. I saw them here in Boise about 1973 or so and they were very good. I remember a song they did called "Nine Houses" Very Cool mandolin song. JD

Yonkle

Jun-14-2005, 10:44pm

Long Time Ago

Mike Crocker

Jun-15-2005, 6:17am

Rory Gallagher (RIP)

Jim Hilburn

Jun-15-2005, 8:30am

I read through this pretty quickly, but I didn't see Russ Barenberg listed. He did a song called "Laughing Feet" (I think) that a local DJ starts his program with. It's one of the prettiest instrumentals I've ever heard.