Top cds

[Zako]

Hello, folks. I need your help, as I am on an Amazon buying spree and need to find out, in your opinion, the best 1 or 2 CD's from

Chris Thile
David Grisman
Anything classical
Anything baroque
Sam Bush
Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, Bela Fleck...bla bla bla (something Bluegrass or Apps)
Maybe an Rem CD with a ton of mando in it

...or anything else you would consider an interesting and extremely good album. This is my first time actually shopping for mando music, so I am hoping to catch a bit of everything.

[fiddler59]

Find the cd "Strength In Numbers" The Telluride Sessions......
Thile "Not All Who Wander Are Lost".......the first David Grisman Quintet album "The David Grisman Quintet".....Any of Sam Bush's last few.....all great stuff !!!

David Blackmon

[cooper4205]

if you like Dawg and Sam you should get a copy of Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza (http://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-Mandolin-Extravaganza-Various-Artists/dp/B00000IIRY). It's a great sampler of some of the greatest mandolin players and is really an eye opener when it comes to hearing and comparing different playing styles (and tune variations).

[Ivan Kelsall]

Buy anything by John Reischman if you want superb playing,both in instrumentals & accompaniment.Also,you won't go wrong if you were to buy a CD by one of the all-time 'greats',Herschel Sizemore. His CD ''Back in business'' has two classic tracks on it,his tune 'Rebecca'& a blistering rendition of 'Grey Eagle'.
Anything by Butch Baldassari is also a 'must'. His CD's
"Appalacian Mandolin & Dulcimer" & "New classics for Bluegrass Mandolin" are stunning,
Saska
#

[AlanN]

One man's opinion ahead:

For Thile, I like his first 2, where nothing gets in the way of flawless mandolin picking

For Grisman, start at the beginning with his Quintet recording

For Bush, pick up Late as Usual and move ahead/back/up/down

the others, I'll let the more learned chime in.

[JEStanek]

Thilé - Not All Who Wander are Lost and How to Grow a Woman From The Ground
Compton and Long - Stomp
Hot Rize - Untold Stories (Tim O'Brien)
Yo Yo Ma - Appalachian Waltz
Grisman - Pizza Tapes, Breakdown, Rounder Record, DGBX, Dawgnation (I recommend taking advantage of the free daily download from Dawgnet.com)

I'll second Butch B's and David Schnauffer's Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer
The Thilé & Marshall CDs are excellent.

While no mando content, I think everyone should own A Love Supreme by Coltrane.

REM doesn't have a CD with TONS of mando on it... Losing My Religion is on Out of Time which is pretty good for REM (I prefer the older stuff, myself)

So much music... so little time.
Jamie

[mandocrucian]

REM - Green (1989) probably has the most mando on any REM album, with three tracks: "You Are The Everything", "The Wrong Child", "Hairshirt"

You probably ought to get a copy of Catfish Rising by Jethro Tull which has quite a bit of mando on it.

And Ry Cooder - Into The Purple Valley

<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>(and while you're at it, Niles Hokkanen's On Fire & Ready!, which has got mandos on every track. and not bluegrass))</span> http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

http://www.elderly.com/images/tiny/recordings/80/MANDOCRUCIAN03.jpg

NH

[trent.727]

Old and in the Way - 1973

[jefflester]

<span style='font-size:7.5pt;line-height:100%'>(and while you're at it, Niles Hokkanen's On Fire & Ready!, which has got mandos on every track. and not bluegrass))</span> http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

But unavailable on Amazon. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[Andrew DeMarco]

Grisman and Garcia's Not For Kids Only

[jasona]

Thile and Marshall's album should get a consideration too.

[jasona]

Also any of the (now) three albums by the Creaking Tree String Quartet.

[Steve Baker]

Bush and Grisman's "Hold On, We're Strummin'!"

Steve

[Milan Christi]

if you like Dawg and Sam you should get a copy of Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza (http://www.amazon.com/Bluegrass-Mandolin-Extravaganza-Various-Artists/dp/B00000IIRY). It's a great sampler of some of the greatest mandolin players and is really an eye opener when it comes to hearing and comparing different playing styles (and tune variations).
I completely agree with this recommendation. Of all the albums I have this one gets the most spins in my cd player. It is a sampling of styles, techniques, interpretations and remarkable musicianship. I doubt that I could learn more from a single source. You won't get tired of listening to this collection.

[jhbaylor]

I constantly go back to these albums:

Tone Poems - Grisman/Rice
Mandolin Hymns - Butch Baldassari
Quartet - Rowan and Rice (Sharon Gilchrist on mando)

and since I have an 8th month old and it has great mandolin:

Not For Kids Only - Grisman/Garcia

It's just not right how much amazing acoustic music is available. But these are three staples for me.

Off the mandolin track a bit, but Townes Van Zandt is new to me and some of his stuff is amazing. Didn't know he wrote some of my favorite songs that Peter Rowan sings.

[lgc]

Yank Rachel's Jug Band album, Carl Martin's Crow Jane, Chicago Stingband CD(Johny Young is amazing) Anything by the Dallas String Band. The Blue Sky Boys.

[JeffD]

Andy Statman: Flatbush Waltz. What a great album.

[mandolirius]

Yeow! Hey Zacko, I hope you've got a lot of money http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Recommendations aplenty but I'll add one anyway: "Manzanita" by Tony Rice, which has both Grisman and Bush on it. Also a big "second" on Andy Statman's "Flatbush Waltz" and also his latest "East Flatbush Blues". Mandolin playing simply doesn't get any more advanced than that.

[Eugene]

On mandolin, I tend to favor music specifically for mandolin, so the stuff I offer will be focused there. #Much depends upon what "Anything classical" actually means to you. #If you mean music composed for mandolin in the classical era, there's only so much of that to go around. #Some I'd recommend are:

Galfetti, D. & D. Fasolis. 2000. Mandoin & Fortepiano. Arts Music, 47610-2. (A fine period instrument recording.)

Lichtenberg, C. et al. 1997. Musikinstrumente des Ferdinandeums 4: Mandoline von Johann Georg Psenner (Innsbruck 1775). Tiroler Landesmuseum Innsbruck. (A great period-instrument recording, probably NOT easily located via Amazon: too bad.)

Orlandi, U. & I Solisti Aquilani. 1991. Italian Mandolin Concertos. Koch, 311 171. (Spans classical and baroque.)

Orlandi, U., I Solisti Veniti, et al. 1971, 1984, 1986. The Magic of the Mandoline. Erato, 4509-92132-2. (Modern-instrument recordings of three Vivaldi concertos along with three fine early classical concertos.)

Quatuor Plectr'Archi. 1990. Giuliani/Hoffmann: Quartets for violin, viola, mandolin, & lute. Pavane Records, ADW 7224.

Stephens, A. et al. 1991. Music for Mandolin. Amon Ra. (Mostly classical, but with excursions into baroque and late romantic aesthetics.)

Stephens, A., London Mozart Players, et al. 2001. Hummel: Mandolin Concerto etc. Chandos, CHAN 9925. (Only the one famous mandolin work, but one of my favorite recordings of it.)

Walz, R. & V. Sofronitzki. 1998. Mandolin and Fortepiano. Globe, GLO 5187. (A fine period-instrument recording.)


If "Anything classical" means any composed art music, the mandoworld is your oyster. #Look into the music of Raffaele Calace (1863-1934) just because he was one of the most important figures in the history of the mandolin, e.g.:

Orlandi, U., Orchestra di Mandolini e Chitarre "Citta di Brescia", et al. 1998. Raffaele Calace (1863-1934): Works for Mandolin Quartet & Mandolin Orchestra. Nuova Era, 7302.

Stephens, A. & S. Devine. 2007. Raffaele Calace (1863-1934): Mandolin Concertos nos. 1 and 2, Rapsodia Napoletana. Naxos, 8.570434. (Brand spankin' new, sparkling, and delicious.)

Troester, G. (now Weyhofen). 1994. The Romantic Mandolin of Raffaele Calace: 10 Preludes. Thorofon, CTH 2211. (Totally unaccompanied without overdub and totally amazing.)

...and several others. #Feel free to ask if you'd like more. #A couple more bits of post-classical miscellany I like that should be available on Amazon:

Duetto Giocondo. 1997. American Music for Mandolin and Guitar. Koch, 3-1309-2.

Duetto Giocondo. 1998. Lutz-Werner Hesse (*1955): Music for Mandolin & Guitar. Col Legno, WWE 1CD 20024. (A very modern musical vocabulary: not for everyone.)

Duo Mandala. 2003. Tapestry: Contemporary Music for Mandolin and Harp. Black Box, BBM1088.

Orlandi, U. & M. Mazzonetto. 2004. Rapsodia Napoletana. Nuova Era, 7378.

Walz, R. & M. Tomizuka. 1999. Mandolin Treasures from the Golden Era. Plucked String Disc, PSD 007.


...and again, there are heaps more. #Please ask if this doesn't satiate.

On to mostly baroque, and all period-instrument recordings for a little sonic diversity:

Duo Ahlert & Schwab. 2007. Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750): Sonatas for Lute and Mandolin/Johann Hoffmann (1770-c.1814): Sonatas for Mandolin and Archlute. Naxos, 8.557716. (Half baroque, half classical, and all delicious.)

Duo Capriccioso. 1997. Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757): Sei Sonate per Mandolino e Chitarra. Thorofon, CTH 2325.

Ensemble Baschenis. 1998. The Early Mandolin. Ducale, CDL 025. (With excursions into the classical, but in a largely baroque aesthetic.)

Ensemble Baschenis. 2004. The Early Mandolin, vol. 2. Ducale, CDL 036. (With excursions into the classical, but in a largely baroque aesthetic.)

Frati, D. & D. Roi. 1997. Giuseppe Gaetano Boni (ca. 1650-1732): Op. II-Divertimenti per Camera. Tactus, TC 650201.

Frati, D. & D. Roi. 2003. Mandolin in the Capitals of Europe. Dynamic, CDS 375.

Il Giardino Armonico. 1993. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): Concerti per Liuto e Mandolino. #Teldec, 4509-91182-2. (My favorite period-instrument reocrding of these venerable masterworks.)

Schneider, C. & S. Pecot-Douatte. 2000. Mandoline Galante. Callope, CAL 9274.


...And, as always, there is more.

For Grisman, I'd recommend a couple a little off the beaten path:

Taylor/Grisman Jazz Quartet. 1999. I'm Beginning to See the Light. Acoustic Disc, ACD-36. (Good, ol' fashioned swing.)

Gambetta, B., C. Aonzo, & D. Grisman. 2001. Traversata. Acoustic Disc, ACD-47. (Grisman playing second mandolin to Aonzo in Italian immigrant music of the golden era.)


...And another a bit off the beaten path for Bush:

The Tony Rice Unit. 1979. Acoustics. Kaleidoscope Records, F-10. (Weird jazzy, new-agey acoustic wankin' music with a groovy mood and huge chops all'round: both Bush and Marshall on mandolin.)

[Zako]

Great Scott, Eugene. I was looking for one or two albums! Thanks for the list, though. I'll for sure be considering everybody's input.

[sockmonkey]

I just downloaded this one today:

Occupational Hazards by Growling Old Men: John Lowell & Ben Winship... Amazon.com Description - This is a recording of bluegrass tinged acoustic music perfomed on mandolin and guitar, with tight vocals. There is a mixture of original, obscure, Celtic and traditional songs on this CD. John Lowell and Ben Winship are well known in the bluegrass world for precise and imagainative work on their individual instruments, and for wonderful songwriting. The songs on this CD are a result of Lowell and Winship traveling and playing music together for many years. This is their second duo recording as the Growling Old Men.

Peace... Carl

[JeffD]

On mandolin, I tend to favor music specifically for mandolin, so the stuff I offer will be focused there. #Much depends upon what "Anything classical" actually means to you. #If you mean music composed for mandolin in the classical era, there's only so much of that to go around. #Some I'd recommend are:
Just an amazing amazing list. I printed it out and put it on my wall next to the computer, so next time I am on Amazon or another music source I will be ready.

[Eugene]

Great Scott, Eugene. #I was looking for one or two albums! #Thanks for the list, though. #I'll for sure be considering everybody's input.
Sorry, Zako (and thank you, Jeff). I kinda like mandolin and do get carried away sometimes.

[hlebowi2]

Andy Statman-Andy's Ramble

Howard

[Eugene]

Great Scott, Eugene. #I was looking for one or two albums! #Thanks for the list, though. #I'll for sure be considering everybody's input.
PS: I should also defend my borderline-inappropriate grossly verbose behavior by saying I expected reams of recommendations for Thile, Bush, Grisman, etc. but none or nearly none for classical and baroque. I had to compensate...didn't I? Regarding Thile, Fleck, Meyer, et al., then, how'bout:

Fleck, B. et al. 2001. Perpetual Motion. Sony Classical, SK 89610. (Baroque, classical, and romantic-era classics transcribed for banjo with other instruments, including characters like Thile on mandolin, Meyer on bass, John Williams on classical guitar, Joshua Bell on violin, Evelyn Glennie on percussion, and a couple others.)

[Bing Cullen]

Mandolin 2000 (2 xCD) put out by Mel Bay showcases just about all the artists you'll want to hear from BG to classical and has the added bonus of a booklet with tab and notation. Reischman's Choro for Shadow is a standout.