Top 5 albums (suggestions)

[Chughes423]

For a new player, what are 5 albums you suggest purchasing? Looking for anything from Monroe, John Reischman, Nickel Creek, etc. Looking for a variety.

[allowishish]

Don't forget john Prine, infinitely playable for a newby and great songs. He even uses a mandolin in a few.

And if you want to be awestruck by his mastery of the groove and chop, Sam Bush has to be in the top 5...scratch that just top anything.

[flatpickle]

1. Skaggs and Rice. A beautiful sampling of mandolin in a traditional style duo.
2. Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe. Ronnie McCoury tears it up.
3. Fiddle Tune X. Cafe fixture Don Julin picks an array of traditional favorites.
4. Sleep With One Eye Open. Chris Thile and Michael Daves shine on this simply recorded collection of trad favorites.
5. Ultimate Pickin. Silly title notwithstanding, Wayne Benson presents some fabulous arrangements of jam classics.


Obviously, I tend toward duo albums and traditional tunes.

[Nathan Kellstadt]

1) The David Grisman Quintet (self titled)

2) Travellers (Butch Baldassari & Robin Bullock & John Reichman)

3) Appalachian Mandolin & Dulcimer (Butch Baldassari & David Schnaufer)

4) The Kitchen Tapes (Frank Wakefield & Red Allen)

5) Bye Bye Blues & Swing Low Sweet Mandolin (Jethro Burns & Don Stiernberg, may as well be one album in my book)

[Darren Bailey]

1 Thile Daves -Sleep With One Eye Open
2 Any Del McCoury album - any!
3 Skaggs and Rice - a classic
4 Greensky Bluegrass - the new album is fantastic
5 Any Bill Monroe album

Having got to number 5 I realise this is impossible to exclude so many more.

[TEvans]

Sweet Loam from Joe Walsh is one of my favorite albums - and has some great mandolin work in it.

You can get it HERE.

[mandroid]

I got a couple of Evan Marshall's solo mandolin classical Music CDs at his Show ,
in town last month.

Peter Ostrushko's mandolin Quartet , 'the Mando Boys' .

Jethro Burns, & Tiny Moore 'Back to Back'

Brazilian Choro of Jacob do Bandolim, V 1&2..

Howard 'Louie Bluie' Armstrong , and in Martin Bogen and Armstrong

[doc holiday]

only 5... tough one:
Master of Bluegrass -Bill Monroe and all the Bear Family Monroe collections
Everything by John Reischman especially his sideman stuff ( Good Ole Persons, Scott Nygaard's 1st CD)
Everything by or with Joe Walsh (his own & Brittany Haas & the Gibson Brothers, Crowmolly...waiting on the new Mr Sun)
Skaggs & Rice
All the Sam Bush as sideman cds (Manzanita etc)
Anything you can find by David Peters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUz0D9nund8) including his book Masters of Mandolin
...

[Jeff Mando]

An oldie but a goodie is "Memories" by Doc Watson. A lot of great versions of standards that many bands are still playing today.

[fatt-dad]

Country Gentlemen in Japan.

f-d

[Steve Sorensen]

Seldom Scene Live at the Cellar Door
California Autumn - Tony Rice
Gravity's Our Enemy - Cadillac Sky
It's Hot - Corn Bred
Stomp Revival - Bone Pony

Steve

[Dan Cole]

I would say:
1. The David Grisman Quintet - Self titled CD
2. Jim & Jesse - Mandolin Work Shop
3. Bill Monroe - Master of the Mandolin
4. Skaggs & Rice
5. The Dillards - Backporch Bluegrass

[SincereCorgi]

In no particular order...

1. Bill Monroe, early years box set from JSP (four discs... yes, this is cheating)
2. Statman, Old Brooklyn
3. Reischman, Up in the Woods
4. Flinner, Music Du Jour
5. Grisman, Home Is Where The Heart Is (double album... yes, this is also cheating)

[Ed Goist]

Stomp - Mike Compton & David Long
Quartet - Peter Rowan (a 'Birthday Boy' today!), Tony Rice, Sharon Gilchrist, & Bryn Davies
The Pizza Tapes - Grisman, Garcia, & Rice
Late As Usual - Sam Bush
East Flatbush Blues - Andy Statman

Note: Because it is out of print, I have omitted here is what I consider THE essential mandolin album, Nolan Faulkner's The Legendary Kentucky Mandolin of Nolan Faulkner . Get a hold of this album if you can!

[pit lenz]

First of all:
Adam Steffey's New Primitive album!
.......



Then: Joe Walsh, either Saturday Night Waltz or Sweet Loam,
Nickel Creeks's A Dotted Line
Circles Around Me by Sam Bush,
anything by Tim O'Brien, preferably Chameleon.

But you should get Adam Steffey' record...

[fatt-dad]

the first New Grass Revival
Grisman's Rounder Album
Scaggs and Rice
Country Gent's in Japan
Seldom Scene Act 2

f-d

[David Lewis]

In no particular order

Jethro tull: songs from the wood
Sam bush: circles around me
Grisman and Garcia
Mike Compton: rotten taters
Punch brothers latest.

Lots of inspiration. Lots of things to work towards

[stevedenver]

im in accord with sincere corgi for variety and brilliance

statman, reischman, skags, bush ,hull, grisman, thile, in no particular order
for one bluegrass masterpiece,
skags bluegrass rules
thile sleep with one eye open
statman old brooklyn
bush sam and dave

herschell sizemore too if you can find him, virtuoso bluegrass

dillards will serve you well at jams,backporch bluegrass
as will seldom scene live

[Ivan Kelsall]

The album ''First Crossing'' by the then 16 year old Ashby Frank is still available to buy. Ashby's one of my very favourite mandolin stylists & he's graced several top Bluegrass bands inc. Special Concensus & The Mashville Brigade with his playing. Here's a couple of samples :- https://youtu.be/naU-L8mEInk 'Carolina In The Pines' / https://youtu.be/l49HajwKTFw - 'Gone to Carolina'
https://youtu.be/BZt240MGxjg - Carolina In The Pines' video,
Ivan
http://www.countysales.com/products....st-Crossing%27 ''First Crossing'' - County Sales

[UsuallyPickin]

Well .... My top five are listed above..... the thing is t really hear five different players and their styles ... what they .... and you can bring to the mandolin table......
1. Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe ... Monroe handled the mandolin chores on this one classic bluegrass mandolin
2. Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe ... as mentioned above Ronnie McCoury plays mandolin on this one
3. Here Today .... David Grisman's grass chops are on full display ...... His Quintet work is in a different direction musically but well worth your attention.
4. Skaggs and Rice.... Ricky Skaggs gives an extremely clean approach to duet work ..... a lovely recording
5. Sleep With One Eye Open .... Chris Thile plays it all out on this excellent duet recording with Michael Daves I always enjoy listening to this one ... the energy is amazing....
Of course there are may more players and recordings that deserve to be mentioned but those are my "5" ... R/

[Espresso Geek]

How about some Sierra Hull? http://webermandolins.com/players/we...s/sierra-hull1 Love Sierra!!!! But..... if I need to get my mando on - Chris Thile and Michael Daves -Sleep with One Eye Open. The whole freakin album is awesome. And of course the YouTube videos - your eyeballs will melt when you watch Rabbit In The Log. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wtkYFy8LxE Man, I need some espresso!!!

[Espresso Geek]

Oh what the heck - some more Sierra Hull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESv0njSXX3A

[JayA]

Some good suggestions. Admittedly I'm quite a fan, but I'd suggest most albums by Simon Mayor. I enjoy that he just mainly plays music, on the Mandolin. Generally no particular type or genre. I enjoy his solo albums as well as the music with the Mandolinquents.

[Mark Christensen]

Here's mine,
Tim O'Brien: Two Journies
David Grisman: Home is where the heart is
David Grisman and Doc Watson: Doc and Dawg
John Reischman and the Jaybirds: Self Titled first album
Herschel Sizemore: Back in Business
Honorable Mention
Phillips, Grier and Flinner: Self titled
Douglas, Barenberg, Meyer: Skip, Hop, Wobble

[AlanN]

Herschel Sizemore - Bounce Away
Bobby Clark - One-Legged Gypsy
David Grisman - Early Dawg
Ray Legere - Common Denominator
Young Mando Monsters - Volume 1