Mandolin Cafe Blog

January - Gruhn Guitars of Nashville announced they were moving out of their famed downtown Nashville location, a change that would eventually involve long-time mainstays Walter and Christie Carter leaving and opening Carter Vintage Guitars in direct competition with their previous employer.

We celebrated the three Grammy nominations for our friends in the Modern Mandolin Quartet and their groundbreaking recording Americana with a feature interview just days before the awards.

Berklee College of Music announced a John McGann tribute concert on our forum.

Fender announced the availability of pre-orders for their newly re-released Mando-Strat Solid-body Electric Mandolin to the delight of many.

February - The Mandolin Cafe performed research into Fisher's El Dorado, Kansas mandolin orchestra of the 1920s discovering the name of the original owner of Chris Thile's Lloyd Loar signed Gibson mandolin in the process. Meet Virgil Bisagno.

Chris Thile added another Grammy to his growing collection with the Goat Rodeo Sessions quartet consisting of Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan and Edger Meyer.

John Reischman's much anticipated new solo project Walk Along John was released. An all-star cast delivered a polished performance and fans of John's brilliant playing were not disappointed with the results.

Mandolinist Mike Guggino and his Steep Canyon Rangers celebrated a Grammy win for Best Bluegrass Album.

March - Bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson continued to turn out spectacular new projects with Roads Well Traveled.

Our congratulations went out to our friends at JazzMando.com as they celebrated 10 years online.

Two of our favorite bluegrass mandolin stars Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson teamed up for a hot recording entitled Mandolin Chronicles.

Rest in peace, Mike Butler, Indianapolis organizer and the man behind CD tributes to Yank Rachell and Bill Monroe.

April - Probably the closest we'll ever get to having something go viral occurred April 1 with our spoof entitled Sam Bush Enters 2014 Kentucky Senate Race. 2,900+ Likes on Facebook. Word has it Sam enjoyed the attention and fun. He's the best!

Happy 75th birthday to bluegrass legend Roland White.

Greece's ATTIKA Plucked String Orchestra released a project combining poetry and great classics with Musica Poetica.

May - Acoustic Disc re-released Dawg '90, an early David Grisman Quintet recording that won a Grammy in the Country Instrumental category for Pupville.

Brazilian bandolim master Hamilton de Holanda released yet another brilliant project entitled Trio.

The Boxcars with Adam Steffey released It's Just A Road.

June - Don Stiernberg's project of mostly original material entitled Mandoboppin! released.

Of interest to fans of bluegrass music, Murphy Henry's book Pretty Good for a Girl - Women in Bluegrass released by the University of Illinois Press.

The New Kentucky Colonels: Live in Holland 1973 featuring the spectacular playing of brothers Clarence and Roland White released.

Adam Steffey's old-time flavored recording New Primitive released. We celebrated its release with a feature interview with Adam.

July - Emory Lester is out with a new project entitled At Dusk.

D'Addario Introduces the NS Micro Tuner, the next in their family of clip-on, headstock tuners.

Ricky Skaggs' new book Kentucky Traveler: My Life in Music published by Harper Collins.

Documentary DVD Making History With Pioneers of Bluegrass: Tales of the Early Days In Their Own Words published.

John Reischman and John Miller release their third duo project, a collection of mostly original jazz and Latin compositions entitled Road Trip.

American Mandolin Method Volume 2 by Brian Wicklund and Ben Winship published by Mel Bay, Inc.

August - Carter Vintage Guitars of Nashville announced they are representing renowned builder Steve Gilchrist, previously represented by Gruhn Guitars.

First annual San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp held. Mandolin Cafe awarded 16 yr. old Gabriel Riegner a half scholarship to the event.

Chris Thile's highly anticipated Bach: Sonatas & Partitas 1 recording released by Nonesuch.

Happy 60th birthday (August 12) to Peter Ostroushko.

Rest in peace, Jean Paul Charles, a well known and respected Brazilian musician and builder.

Hamilton de Holanda's tribute to choro legend Pixinguinha released: Mundo de Pixinguinha.

September - Mandolin Cafe published Bradley Klein's Chris Thile on Recording Bach - Part I.

Backyard Green Films documentary Herschel Sizemore: Mandolin in B released.

It was bound to happen: a full version of J. S. Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Mandolin in standard and tablature.

For the third consecutive year, Sam Bush was nominated for Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association.

Sarah Jarosz's Build Me Up From Bones released by Sugar Hill.

Rest in peace, mandolin builder John Liddy.

Rest in peace, great fiddler and mandolin player Kenny Hall.

October - Congratulations to Adam Steffey, crowned IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year.

Andy Statman's Superstring Theory released on Shefa Records.

Ricky Skaggs named 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame Artist-In-Residence.

Happy 10th anniversary to the Mandolin Archive.

New music from Jesse Cobb, a solo project entitled Solitude.

November - Lots of praise for Chris Biesterfeldt's new jazz mandolin recording Urban Mandolin.

Don Stiernberg's Jazz Mandolin Appetizers published by Mel Bay, Inc.

December - Roger Siminoff announces the availability of a reprint of the 1974 Pickin' Magazine peghead poster.

Sarah Jarosz, Tim O'Brien, The Boxcars, Del McCoury Band and a few bluegrass bands all received Grammy nominations.