View Full Version : Simon mayor's new celtic mandolin cd
I just got this CD and am really enjoying it. It's got a nice blend of tunes in many flavors. Some have vocals and some don't. I highly recommend it.
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Mike Crocker
Sep-25-2007, 7:25am
Not just a mandolin wizard, but a true guitar hero too. "Music From A Small Island" and "Lullabies With Mandolins" are the two most recent that I've got and both are highly recommended. I would have liked to hear more of his newer recordings when I saw him with Hilary James in August. Not that he disappointed mind you, every time he plays it's magic. I really like his studio sensibilities and production standards, too.
On the warm and fuzzy front, Simon and Hilary were married this year. My bride and I are quite fond of them both.
Peace, Mooh.
I have Music from a Small Island and New Celtic Mandolin CD and I'm really enjoying both of them. I think I may actually like Music from a Small Island a little bit better,though I can't really explain why. Maybe it's the song selection, or the brilliant mixture of instruments. If he were just using mandolin, and not mixing in all the other instruments, the albums wouldn't be nearly as powerful. But the fiddle, guitar, etc make it sound really nice.
BBarton
Sep-30-2007, 7:49pm
If you're interested, Simon also has a book to accompany New Celtic Mandolin that contains the music notation and tablature for the tunes as well as others, and lots of playing tips and general interest reading. I've found it quite useful. #Check it out at their website: www.mandolin.co.uk
Simon just sent me his new CD, Dance of the Comedians. This is the Mandoliquents, his collaborative band that has recorded before. This CD of course includes Hilary on mandobass with her incredibly unique vocals, Gerald Garcia on classical guitar, Richard Collins on banjo, mandolin and mandobass, and Simon on mandolin, violin and guitar.
The CD is wonderful. Live tracks, done all over the UK at their performances. I love the grouping of world music that they bring to this, from the classical, with tunes like the Brazilian Apanhei- Cavaquinho, through classical, Rigaudon, jazz with Lullaby of Birdland, showtunes with The Typewriter and others. Reminicent of the latest CD that Radim Z. has done with the classical group of musicians, but definitely not a copy of it.
What I like about Simon and crew is that they are willing to take chances on various forms, and aren't tied into one "style". Simon's consistent light touch at the high end of the neck is a delight to hear, as usual, along with his teardrop slide down from a note, which he does better than anyone.
Hilary is a unique singer, recognizable at once, which is what the essence of style is all about. Collins and Garcia are wonderful in their roles.
Check it out if you get the chance. A great gift for someone that isn't mandolin centric, but wants to hear a great range of modern, less American styled music. And you get Simons' great patter between songs to boot, with a bonus track or two thrown in.
al in pt
foldedpath
Oct-01-2007, 11:32am
I recently bought Simon's two instructional DVD's -- Mandolin Essentials and New Celtic Mandolin. They're both very good, although the navigation interface is a bit rough. Essentials is aimed more at beginners, but that's where I am right now. New Celtic has a few tunes from the CD of the same name, plus one other one, and he gets deeper into ornament techniques and how he arranges these tunes.
I recently bought Simon's two instructional DVD's -- Mandolin Essentials and New Celtic Mandolin. They're both very good, although the navigation interface is a bit rough. Essentials is aimed more at beginners, but that's where I am right now. New Celtic has a few tunes from the CD of the same name, plus one other one, and he gets deeper into ornament techniques and how he arranges these tunes.
Thanks for the info; I may get one of those videos. I'm going to my first "retreat" this month and will have about 6 sessions of mandolin classes, which I'm hoping will really give my playing a much needed boost. But after that I'm hopefully have some more knowledge and headed down the right path and can choose more instructional material from there.