solo mandolin recordings

[billkilpatrick]

mike compton's "rotten taters" album is a good example of how one man and his mandolin can make fabulous music. are there any others?

[Rick Jones]

I really like Brian Oberlin's 'Solo Swing'. Great stuff.

[Ray(T)]

Jethro Burns - "Tea For One" - or so I'm told; as I've never been able to get hold of a copy.

[billkilpatrick]

thanks - i've checked both those out, plus there's a solo album by evan marshall. i'm beginning to think mike compton's recordings may be unique in that he plays some of his own material and plays mandolin in the same way that singer/songwriters play guitar. not to say he plays mandolin like a guitar but he uses it as a stand-alone instrument.

[Rob Fowler]

Another one to add...in a completely different genre...is Luke Plumb's "A Splendid Notion." Solo mandolin with percussion by James MacIntosh. All Irish Traditional fiddle tunes and a couple of O'Carolan tunes. Really great to hear a solo Gilchrist playing Irish Traditional tunes and the percussion really complements it, also.

I think it's pretty hard to find though....

[Marcus CA]

For choro, check out Hamilton de Holanda's 01 Byte, 10 Cordas. For classical, as Bill mentioned, there is Evan Marshall's Billy Tell and Vanilla Schubert.

[Rob Fowler]

Marcus made me remember Hamilton's album "Samba do Aviao" where 8 of the 11 tracks on the album he's playing solo. Really damn good.

[Chip Booth]

Radim Zenkyl plays a good bit of solo mandolin (or mando family instruments) on his album Restless Joy.

[ald]

What about our own Marc Woodward! There is is minimum backup (generally bass) on his album Blue Mando but the mandolin still shines through, while great tunes and songs by him with solo mandolin are to be found on Youtube

[billkilpatrick]

What about our own Marc Woodward! There is is minimum backup (generally bass) on his album Blue Mando but the mandolin still shines through, while great tunes and songs by him with solo mandolin are to be found on Youtube

a-ha! - obviously, i can't see the trees for the forest! - great suggestion - thanks!

[Bennett]

i'm beginning to think mike compton's recordings may be unique in that he plays some of his own material and plays mandolin in the same way that singer/songwriters play guitar. not to say he plays mandolin like a guitar but he uses it as a stand-alone instrument.

The next question is: Why are there not more solo mandolin recordings? I'd love to hear solo mandolin/vocal albums from Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Steve James. Or solo mandolin from Andy Statman.

[David Surette]

If folks are interested in solo playing, there are four solos (out of nine tracks) on a live download-only release that is available for free from Bandcamp.com. Check it out; info below.

Well, last year I put together a little collection of mandolin learning tunes on Bandcamp. It’s been a good experience, and this year I have put together a collection of recorded highlights from the past five years. It’s available for free download at http://davidsurette.bandcamp.com/
There’s some really fun stuff to listen to. Here’s the info from the digital liner notes.

This is a little taste of some of what goes on at the March Mandolin Festival. For me, it represents a great opportunity to work on some solo arrangements, and to get to jam and play music with musical friends old and new. These recordings are offered in that same spirit of musical friendship. Enjoy them, and if you are moved to donate, feel free. But enjoy. Burn copies for your friends. If you are burning to LP, side one has tracks 1-5, and side 2 is 6-9.
They were all recorded live at the festival between 2007 and 2012. Four solos, three duets, and a couple of group numbers. Lots of originals, some Celtic and old-time trad, and Django and Zeppelin, of course. Some scenic detours, but no train wrecks. Live in a really nice sounding hall, totally acoustic. On all tracks, I was using my 1918 F-2 or my Trillium 5-course cittern. Thanks to my trail buddies: Susie Burke, Keith Murphy, Glen Loper, Will Patton, Mike Compton, Baron Collins-Hill, Isa Burke, and Steve Roy.

[wsugai]

As far as I know, no one has mentioned Dave Martini on the Cafe. "Mr. Mandolin Man" - I have his two albums, really great old-time mando picking.

[JeffD]

Peter Ostroushko: the Mando Chronicles

[CelticDude]

Simon Mayor's "New Celtic Mandolin" - some great original tunes, some traditional tunes. Even a companion book with standard notation. Fun stuff, and he plays octave mandolin on one tune.

[Mike Romkey]

Dan Beimborn has some solo mandolin on his CDs.

Thanks for the link, David. I'm off in pursuit of the music to "Down Eastern."

[David Surette]

Hey Mike, Let me know if you find it! That's an original of mine, and I don't think there's any sheet music out there. But you never know.

[David Surette]

Hey Mike Romkey, I found a hand-written version of Down Eastern. Send me your mailing address, and I'll send it to you. Or email and I can scan it. It's in 11/8.

[Tom Cherubini]

Wouldn't it be wonderful if a link actually took you to the actual web page where the referenced material was? Or even better, took you to the exact location?

[David Surette]

That would be wonderful indeed. But there is so much referenced material in this thread that I doubt that one link could bring a person to all of it.