Michael cleveland [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum

JeffD

Mar-28-2008, 12:10am

I just heard some Michael Cleveland mandolin playing. I saw a youtube of him jamming at SPBGMA.

He is pretty blisteringly amazing on the mandolin.

Even better on the fiddle. Turns out he is IBMA fiddler of the year (for 2002?), and used to play with Rhonda Vincent on fiddle.

Seems like a real nice fellow too.

I can't believe I never heard of him before.

Ole Joe Clark

Mar-28-2008, 4:31am

Michael is probably in his mid to late 2o's, an amazing fiddler, mandolin and guitar player. He has at least two CD's out, one called Flamekeeper, and the other "Let Er Go Boys!"

Traditional bluegrass at it's best. He does a couple of waltzes that are really great, "Blue Velvet Waltz", and "Hopelessly In Love".

Joe

Gutbucket

Mar-28-2008, 5:38am

He plays a mean Gilchrist. He has a unique chop. It really cuts the room apart.

ALog

Mar-28-2008, 6:06am

Saw him a couple of times last season and Jesse Brock played mandolin with him and Michael played the fiddle most of the time. WOW! He does play the mandolin on "Blue Violet Waltz" though. And some people will say he does all this with a disability...he's blind.

Albert Whiting

Mar-28-2008, 6:21am

I got to jam with Michael at SPBGMA a few years back. We had a mandolin session. It was about 2 am in the lobby of the Sheraton in Nashville. The jam included, Jeremy Chapman, Michael Cleveland and myself. Michael can rip a mandolin for sure. Not only is he blind, he is also partially deaf or maybe even completely deaf in his left ear. He has turned out to be a great musician and is a blast to be around.

bradeinhorn

Mar-28-2008, 6:37am

you should hear him flatpick a guitar. oh my god.

Tracy Tucker

Mar-28-2008, 6:51am

He and his band are playing at the Southern Ohio Indoor Music Fest in Wilmington tomorrow. I've not seen him before, so am looking forward to it!

mandopete

Mar-28-2008, 7:37am

...what no banjo?

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

Gutbucket

Mar-28-2008, 7:52am

Rumor has it he can rip a banjar, too.

Brady Smith

Mar-28-2008, 9:16am

Excellent player...saw him a lot with Audie Blaylock and will see him next tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

earthsave

Mar-28-2008, 9:41am

That boy is multi-talented. You can find him jammin around these parts. He was one of the original IBMA Youth All-Stars along with Josh Williams, Chris Thile, Cody Kilby, and Brady Stogdill in 1993.

SternART

Mar-28-2008, 9:51am

Yeah there is a photo somewhere floating around of a bunch of young kids...Thile, Cleveland & a young Gabe Witcher from the Punch Bros. is also in there, among others......I think I saw it in that Bluegrass Journey documentary DVD. Michael was great this year at Wintergrass, but his set the year before .....what turned out to be the last year of Supergrass in Bakersfield was on FIRE! Jesse Brock on mando really drove the rhythm & Michael was blazin'! Coupla new players in the lineup this year at Wgrass.....Audie was gone & a different banjo player too.....

Treblemaker

Mar-28-2008, 10:34am

Not only does he shred on several instruments - but he's a nice guy too and for me that counts for a lot.

At Grass Valley Father's Day Fest Audie Blaylock and Michael (WIth the Redline Band) played impromptu warmup sets outside the backstage gate to warm up prior to each onstage set a couple of years ago.

This incredible talent surely is of the people and he freakin' smokes on fiddle and mando.

He did an insane over the top version of Old Dangerfield on twin fiddles with his band mate at Grass Valley that stayed with me for days afterword...

-Treblemaker

DannyB

Mar-28-2008, 11:04am

Someone had recorded that performance from 93 and gave it too me probably around 94 and I still have it somewhere. It's fantastic. I sat with him at BOTO in first quality's room while he was slammin a DMM they had there. He certainly knows how to pick and get tone out of an instrument.

JeffD

Mar-28-2008, 11:24am

Not only does he shred on several instruments - but he's a nice guy too and for me that counts for a lot.
I agree. Its really good to see someone who plays so stratospherically, and is just regular folks, plain nice person.

I am going to check out his CDs.

Crowder

Mar-28-2008, 6:12pm

He played here with his band a while back in a small hall and he was incredible---just a force of nature.

JeffD

Mar-28-2008, 11:23pm

And some people will say he does all this with a disability.
I looked him up on Woodsongs Archives. He is asked how his disabilities have affected his musical career, and he said, "not at all really".

He comes across as a regular person who likes to play music, not like a superstar. On the show he only played fiddle, but man does he.

Its worth a look.

Big Joe

Mar-29-2008, 4:29pm

He has the Gilchrist I had custom made for me in 95. It is an incredible mandolin and I wish I had it back, but he won't part with it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to suffer with what I have http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif .

Ken Berner

Mar-31-2008, 7:54pm

Poor Joe!

SterART, The Gabe W. you mentioned . . . is he a fiddler? If so, I saw him play with The Jerry Douglas Band a few years back; a superb musician!

thistle3585

Mar-31-2008, 8:16pm

I saw him about 8 or 9 years ago. He was passing through town after having done a couple sets at the Bill Monroe Festival and he stopped by a local bluegrass show. They introduced him and said to expect big things from him in the future. I guess that was an understatement.

He just played fiddle on a friend of mines CD that is to be released this spring. I asked my friend how he pulled that off and he said, "I just called him up and asked him and he acted like I was doing him a favor by just asking." My friend's band is playing for my 40th, maybe they can get Michael to sit in.
Here's the link to their project. Definitely not your grandaddy's Bluegrass. Deep Fryed Acoustiblasters (http://www.myspace.com/deepfryedacoustiblasters)

Keith Wallen

Apr-02-2008, 10:53am

bradeinhorn

Apr-02-2008, 2:06pm

Poor Joe!

SterART, The Gabe W. you mentioned . . . is he a fiddler? If so, I saw him play with The Jerry Douglas Band a few years back; a superb musician!
gabe witcher is the fiddler in thile's puch brothers.

Gutbucket

Apr-02-2008, 3:39pm

I can tell you one thing he absolutely kicked some arse at the Ohio indoor festival last Saturday night. He had a young fiddle player from Rigsby's band get up and play 3 or 4 songs with him and he was increadible too. Having that young man get up and play tells me a lot about what a great guy Michael is. He is all about the music. I was hoping he would have played the mandolin a little but he's got a fine mandolin player with him :-)
Was the other fiddler a tall dark curly haired kid? There was another young fiddle player with him on last years Bluegrass cruise. He tore it up and was playing a lot of jazz based music with Michael. Wondering if this was him?

Amandalyn

Apr-02-2008, 6:29pm

Has anyone tabbed out "Blue violet Waltz" ?

Ole Joe Clark

Apr-02-2008, 7:46pm

I had the guitar backup figured out, not to hard. The tricky one is (to me at least) is "Hopelessly In Love".

Joe

jim simpson

Apr-02-2008, 7:56pm

I remember seeing Michael when he was with Rhonda (no, I'm not on a 1st name basis with her!).He was awesome then and the things I've been hearing lately sound even better.
I was asked to sit in with a local band that is scheduled to open for Michael in May - I'm starting to feel a bit nervous.

johnwalser

Apr-02-2008, 8:04pm

Not knowing who Michael Cleveland was, when they were coming on stage my wife and I were telling each other that the band members were very nice to carry a young blind man with them on the road and the inconvenience that must entail. Then that young blind man started to play......WOW!!! That, plus the fact that Jesse Brock can play mandolin with just about anybody out there makes this a pretty pleasant way to spend an hour.
John

Dave Gumbart

Apr-02-2008, 8:38pm

Ken B. - yes, Gabe was playing with Jerry Douglas for a while. He was with the band when Jerry played Grey Fox in 2006, and had been with him for a year or so, I'd guess. He had a mohawk back then, and apparently caused a bit of a stir when he came on stage with Jerry's band, sporting that 'do, down at the Ryman. His playing, however, was the final word.

Can't wait to see him and the Punch Bros. this Sunday in New Haven!

Michael Cleveland is why I'm making sure I'll be at Grey Fox by Thursday night this year (to stay on topic...)

Dave

kymandolin29

Apr-07-2008, 8:27am

michael and his band will be here this weekend and hopefully ill get to jamm with him and the guys that he hangs around with....all great guys ...i got to jamm with them last yr so i hope it happens again this yr.....mr

mingusb1

Apr-08-2008, 11:14am

I'm planning to see him for the first time this summer in NC.

The cover of "Let 'Er Go, Boys" is cool! I'm going to get it. Does he sing?

Z

swampy

Apr-08-2008, 11:41am

Saw him at SPGMA a few years ago. By far the best fiddler I've ever seen live. Insanely powerful! He was playing with Audie Blaylock it was terrific.

Tracy Tucker

Apr-08-2008, 1:18pm

Does he sing?
He was singing harmony when I saw him in Wilmington.

ironbyron

Apr-08-2008, 5:41pm

That video of the Bluegrass Allstars Kids is on the DVD, Gather at the River, A Bluegrass Celebration. It was filmed in Owensboro, KY when the IMBA was still here (where it belongs, IMHO). Anyhow, I digress. There is also a scene with Michael and Doc Watson filmed at what appears to be inside a restroom! I guess it might be a hallway. Great stuff.
I didn't jam with Michael at this past SPGMA, but I did sing Shackles and chains, in his room while he was burning up a Mandolin. Hopefully I will get to jam some with him this weekend at Bluegrass Returns To Its Roots, a festival held here in Owensboro, at The Executive Inn. Y'all come on down!

Byron Oost

Ivan Kelsall

Apr-11-2008, 12:00am

One of my all time favourite fiddlers was Benny Martin & i think that Michael Cleveland has
more than a bit of Benny Martin's 'feel'in his playing. All told,i think Michael Cleveland is pretty darned awesome,
Saska

JeffD

Apr-13-2008, 9:25pm

Saw him at SPGMA a few years ago. By far the best fiddler I've ever seen live. Insanely powerful!
Powerful yes, and confident. A friend of mine was watching a video of him from Woodsongs, and commented "the way he's playing that fiddle doesn't have a chance."

mingusb1

Apr-18-2008, 7:50am

"the way he's playing that fiddle doesn't have a chance"

That's some stage material there!!

Z

Keith Wallen

Apr-18-2008, 8:02am

ALog

Apr-18-2008, 8:22am

He's got another album available that I got when I seen him perform last year, "Sawing on the C Strings" really good also.

Alex Orr

Apr-18-2008, 9:39am

He's on a lot of recordings as part of Ray Davis's "Basement Band", which is something of a revolving cast of about eight or so guys who frequently record brief sets in the basement of the legendary bluegrass DJ Ray Davis. You can hear Ray from 3-5, M-F, at bluegrasscountry.org. Ray's shows are one of the main things that got me seriously into bluegrass and his "basement recordings" are my favorite part of his shows.

flatthead

Apr-18-2008, 12:29pm

It's probably Patrick McAvinue from around Baltimore, Md. He's a great player and an even greater guy. The same can be said for Mike: He's a master musician and a super guy as well, that I'm very proud to call a friend......

Tracy Tucker

Apr-18-2008, 9:19pm

It's probably Patrick McAvinue from around Baltimore, Md. #He's a great player and an even greater guy. #
His name was Patrick, I remember that much. Tall and really skinny; I believe they said he would be graduating H.S. in a couple months. Same guy you know? Excellent fiddler!

fstylemb1

Apr-19-2008, 11:51am

I've known Mike for years and have watched him expand his instrument playing, all of which he does so well with. He occasionally will come out to our Bluegrass Anonymous weekly jam when he is not out on the road. I usually chop the mando way back from where he is. At one jam, he heard me behind him and said, "Take the next break Bucayu!". Holy cow, don't remember what fiddle tune it was but I was hangin on for dear life and when I finished (barely), I was sweatin up a storm and my hands were completely cramped & locked up! He is awesome. He has a great band and I believe they are wrapping up a new recording.

sgarrity

Apr-24-2008, 1:02pm

Does it get any better???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbUlliBPoK4

Keith Wallen

Apr-25-2008, 11:09am

fstylemb1

That's cool Mike and cool that he encouraged you to play. There are some that wouldn't do that and for my kick start I was fortunate to run into more that would than wouldn't.

BTW I am going to miss ordering strings from you at First Quality and hate to hear you left. I hope everything works out for you.

pickinpete

Apr-25-2008, 9:06pm

I ran into him a couple years back at the gibson showcase factory in nashville. I started talkin to him and he asked me pick with him..twice, but I was too intimidated and now I regret not taking the opportunity. Im sure he woulda held back for me. He's a nice guy truly.