For the past month we've been diligently working through a much needed update of our builder database. In the process we've discovered a few (not suprisingly, out of close to 1,000 builders) that have retired, passed away or have moved on to new ventures. We don't find any of this unusual, but before anyone thinks these folks are all running for the door in this economy, don't worry. They aren't. It's just us updating a lot of data.

...

Scott Tichenor

Kansas Public Radio has launched their fall membership drive and I'll be lending a hand for KPR's longtime support of acoustic music including bluegrass, folk, celtic, old-time and more. And yes, much of that music is mandolin rich in content.

If you listen to public radio and appreciate what it offers, please consider making a pledge when I'm on the air encouraging your fellow KPR listeners to become KPR members.

Tune into KPR's Trail Mix on Sunday, October 18 from...

Scott Tichenor

A software program may have picked the next hit song coming from your radio, and you may have no choice in the matter.

Before we discuss further, let's get one thing straight: I neither listen to, have much interest in, nor play music that will ever qualify as "hit" material. If you happen to, power to you.

Then why does this broadcast about software that predicts "hits" that appeared on NPR a few days ago boil my blood? Maybe it's because it takes...

Scott Tichenor

A lot of useful features found on the Cafe's message board are simple never used.

How can well tell? Because many of these features share a common web address, and what each user sees is dependent upon their member login. We simply search the usage of those web addresses and we quickly see those that are rarely accessed. To be fair though, a lot of people may have no use for these, but unless they know, they certainly will never make use of them.

We thought it would...

Scott Tichenor

Doyle Lawson was recently quoted saying, "I'm hearing Bill Monroe's name mentioned less and less these days, and I don't want to see that happen. He's the reason I play bluegrass and I wanted to do something to put Bill's name back out front."

The quote came in regard to a marvelous cut entitled Monroe's Mandolin from Lawson's new Lonely Street recording, and a fine cut it is.

Is Bill Monroe fading from our collective...

Scott Tichenor

Running a large web site is a pretty odd sort of thing to do with one's life. I'm continually evaluating what is this thing I spend so much time on and where is it going. The explosion of social networking over the past few years is proving that the biggest challenge to web site owners these days is going to be that they simply remain relevant! Who needs a web site when there's Facebook and Twitter?

Looking back a year at the Cafe, some changes:

Around September 1 we...

Scott Tichenor

What brings visitors to a mandolin site in droves? In order of sheer numbers:

Death, smoking hot vintage mandolins and, you guessed it, the ladies.

Suspect what I've written is going to offend some. I've thought about this interesting phenomenon for a long time and think it's time to spill the beans, because, after all, mandolin players are no different from the rest of the general population. Some just like to think we are.

What single event brought...

Scott Tichenor

Sierra Hull just graduated from high school. Sarah Jarosz too. Both will be touring this summer as part of a fresh crop of new musical blood in what I term the first internet/post-Chris Thile influenced generation of mandolin players who are moving from the bedroom in mom and dad's house out into the real world.

There's no denying it. Thile had a huge influence on young players at the height of Nickel Creek, and you can hear his influence in their playing. His influence hasn't diminished....

Scott Tichenor

The new Butch Baldassari tribute CD is now out and available from SoundArt Recordings. I was honored to be asked to contribute a cut and there's an interesting story behind the the piece I recorded.

I played a composition you may have heard on Butch's 1998 recording, New Classics for Bluegrass Mandolin. Has it been that long since he recorded it? Doesn't seem possible.

The story behind the music: first, this is a...

Scott Tichenor

Here we go again.

Seeing last year's announcements of the pending launch of Jerusalem Ridge Magazine, a magazine devoted to traditional bluegrass music I could only shake my head. Unsuspecting innocent lovers of traditional bluegrass were going to lose their money, this much was guaranteed.

Meet Ron Malec.

The Mandolin Cafe has a very long and very well documented history with Ron. I've personally devoted more hours and effort than I could begin to estimate...

Scott Tichenor