Mike Marshall & Hamilton de Holanda

[Scott Tichenor]

Mike Marshall sent me a notice about this gig. This would most definitely be one I'd be sitting on the front row if I lived a bit closer. Also found this link (http://www.thefreight.org/2005/september/info_06.html) to the gig on the web.

[SternART]

Now that DOES sound like a good one!
We're so lucky to have the Freight & Salvage here in the Bay Area!
(and a lot of good mandolin players too) Should be fun for Gator.

[Ted Eschliman]

Agora essa combinação do talent será fantástica! Maravilhoso...

[Justin Carvitto]

Who attended? Iam curious to how mind blowing this was. Any recordings or pictures from the show?

>j

[SternART]

I was backstage before the show, Mike wanted to check out my Heiden.....and he said to me that what I was about to hear would realign my DNA. I'll tell you these two are kindred spirits.....think Thile/Marshall but a Choro version. They played plugged in along with the mics & it was a tad loud for me.....but the playing was indeed outstanding. Hamilton is the equal to Mike, another mando monster. He plays a very percussive style and to my eyes he was kinda Jethro-like..playing out of various bizarre chord shapes, must be that C string...... Incredible speed and dexterity.....just when you thought their duet was getting out there, the rhythm getting extreme....they would twin a melody at blazing speed, note for note, incredible unison.....using EVERY note on a mandolin & of course Hamilton added extra ones with that C string on his 10 stringer. Evidentally they met in Paris at a mandocentric event & realized they were musical brethren...Marshall has been woodshedding his Choro for years and was ready.....Mike told me they have been recording & just added 3 more cuts this trip. One tune morphed from Choro into a blazing version of Blackberry Blossom.....Hamilton rips the melody, then MIke plays a transcendant improvised solo, and then Hamilton upped the ante again, improvising a resplendid complex but very musical Choro take on the fiddle tune.....it was truly exceptional, seeing how he tore up something other than Choro. BIG ears on both these fellas, as they listened & responded within nanoseconds to each others moves...truly a mind meld kinda thing... I'm not sure my DNA has been altered, but I had a hard time sleeping that night.....Hamilton de Holanda is another Thile type prodogy. I noticed Grisman was in the audience with a big smile on his face, Tom Rozum as well.... A VERY enjoyable night of mando mayhem. And my Heiden was blessed by both before the gig. We're lucky to see these kinda rare appearances here in the Bay Area. The Freight & Salvage is a killer venue.

[Linda Binder]

Wow....that sounds like it was a fantastic concert. I'm curious who the maker is of H de H's 10 string bandolim. Do you happen to know? How did the tone compare to Mike Marshall's mandolin?
Regards,
Linda

[Linda Binder]

one additional question...did anyone happen to attend the CA Brazil camp where Mr. de Holanda taught a couple of weeks ago? It sounded like a great opportunity to... well...have fun, as well as learn something from a great musician.
--L.

[SternART]

I didn't catch the maker.....but a flat top bandolim just ain't gonna compete with a Loar....guess that explains the plugging in part......sounded kinda fat, thick & full sounding, sweet at times.....but if he really pushed it I could hear distortion. Tuned the same, but a bandolim is definitely a different beast.

[Linda Binder]

Thanks Art, for the response. Interesting that it (the bandolim) came across as fat and full sounding. The recorded bandolims I've heard, including de Holanda's, sound to my ear brighter, more "jangley" than mandolins. I don't mean to sound derogatory...it's a quality that I've noticed and have come to appreciate. It's caused me to contemplate an eventual bandolim purchase as I've continued enjoying playing choros although I love playing them on my Orca for the time being. I've been interested in 10 strings for a long time as well, although I don't know any other 10 string bandolim players besides de Holanda. De Holanda's technique is just explosive on his recordings. It's really fun to listen to him. Whatever he's playing on must be able to handle a real workout, although, now that I think about it he does seem to have a different bandolim in almost every picture I've seen of him! I was curious if there was a noticable tonal contrast with Mike's Loar....and maybe that's a good thing?--some difference in tone between two monster players-helps you know if your headphones are on backwards.:)
-Linda

[Justin Carvitto]

That answers my question. I can't wait for a recording of these guys together.

j

[mandolooter]

I can only imagine.....!

[Rod Freeland]

I was there also -- enjoyed it a lot, but I'd say the volume was WAY overboard, not just "a tad loud." #The Freight is a small venue. #When we were leaving, my wife mentioned her discomfort to the sound person and was disregarded.

[Justin Carvitto]

SternArt,

My choro instructor (who is bais towards bandolims) went to Brazil Camp and did Hamilton's class. He said that the loar was getting drowned out in the choro circles. Maybe the loar needed to be amped to hold with the bandolim? Maybe it was a real big circle? I wasn't there.

Thanks for the concert review http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[domradave]

I saw Mike Marshall with the Modern Mandolin Quartet a number of years ago at McCabe's in Santa Monica. They ended the show with Dave Apollon's "Russian Rag", and threw over their music
stands and sheet music to play it!

[John Eubanks]

I have to ask Teleier
What did Holanda cover in his class?
Thanks,John

[Justin Carvitto]

Swamp blooper:

timing
play rhythm
treat choro like jazz (when improvising)
learn by ear, then read (you will process the song and remember it better if you first "ear it", then read)

[Ted Eschliman]

John, I never thought to take your handle "Swamp Bopper" literally, but after Katrina, it's more truth than poetry.
Hope the "clean up" in New Orleans goes well for you. We're thinking about you here in the (very dry) Plains states...

[mad dawg]

What de Holanda CD's do you fans of his recommend? (I see several at Amazon, but none have song samples available for them there.)

[Ted Eschliman]

The self-titled "Hamilton de Holanda" is superb, as well as his follow-up "Música das Nuvens e do Chão."
Unbelievably good execution and writing. Simply jaw-dropping...
Definitely audio library "must haves" if you're into Choro OR Jazz!