Went to see Sarah Jarosz

[Johnny60]

Saw Sarah Jarosz in Leeds (UK) last night, having heard many good things about her.

I have to say that it was a fantastic evening. Not only were they all superb musicians, they'd obviously rehearsed tirelessly to get such a super-tight and well polished sound.

Just a three-piece band consisting of stand-up bass, a guitarist, and Sarah playing a variety of instruments. The bass player (Jeff Picker) is the best double bass player I've ever seen, bar none. The guitarist (and harmony vocalist) was really good too - He was called Anthony, but I didn't catch his surname. Sarah has a gorgeous, pure voice and spent most of the evening playing a Northfield Octave mandolin. She also played a 6 string banjo (yes, 6 strings) and a Collings guitar for a couple of songs each. The one and only time she played her Collings F5 was during a great instrumental tune called Land's End, featuring just mandolin and bass.

In summary - an evening of really polished and well-rehearsed songs, fantastic musicianship and a lot of (octave) mandolin content.

Cheers,

Johnny

[Ray(T)]

Similar experience in Sheffield late last year. Rather sterile presentation with little audience interaction but great musicianship.

[John Kelly]

I was lucky enough to see and hear Sarah at Celtic Connections on 22nd January in the City Halls in Glasgow. Thoroughly enjoyable evening and the three musicians really complemented each other so well. Her mandolin playing of the Tim O'Brien set was amazing, with the double bass of Jeff Picker really being spotlighted as well.

[jefflester]

Guitarist's name is Anthony Da Costa.

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/reviews/13...hows-her-class

[Woodrow Wilson]

You'll appreciate this article https://americansongwriter.com/2012/...string-garden/

[Dagger Gordon]

Guitarist's name is Anthony Da Costa.

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/reviews/13...hows-her-class

Thanks Jeff. I'm amazed at someone from California putting up a link from Shetland (in case you're not sure it's the most isolated part of the UK, some 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland, but a great place for music) about a girl from Texas.

We surely do live in a global village.

[Matt Harris]

Guitarist's name is Anthony Da Costa.

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/reviews/13...hows-her-class

Interesting. She was touring with Jedd Hughes on guitar last year.

I saw her in Franklin, TN last summer and she put on a good show. But I have to say I felt a lot of the songs (especially her older stuff) suffered from no longer having a fiddle in the mix. Maybe it was just my expectations from having heard them that way so often in the past, but I really loved the trio of her, Nat Smith (cello), and Alex Hargreaves (Fiddle). They were just so, so strong together. And it was such a great mix of sounds. Ahh well, she's still talented but obviously has just decided to move in a bit different direction...

[Louise Starks]

Saw Sarah Jarosz in Leeds (UK) last night, having heard many good things about her.

I have to say that it was a fantastic evening. Not only were they all superb musicians, they'd obviously rehearsed tirelessly to get such a super-tight and well polished sound.

Just a three-piece band consisting of stand-up bass, a guitarist, and Sarah playing a variety of instruments. The bass player (Jeff Picker) is the best double bass player I've ever seen, bar none. The guitarist (and harmony vocalist) was really good too - He was called Anthony, but I didn't catch his surname. Sarah has a gorgeous, pure voice and spent most of the evening playing a Northfield Octave mandolin. She also played a 6 string banjo (yes, 6 strings) and a Collings guitar for a couple of songs each. The one and only time she played her Collings F5 was during a great instrumental tune called Land's End, featuring just mandolin and bass.

In summary - an evening of really polished and well-rehearsed songs, fantastic musicianship and a lot of (octave) mandolin content.

Cheers,

Johnny

I was there the other night in Leeds,they had a great sound. The harmonies from Antony De Costa were amazing as was his guitar playing. I went with my partner who plays in a blues band and he loved the guitar sounds he was getting, quite experimental. Her songs are lovely too. I'm unsure about her picking style, nearly all down strokes which marked for an odd clunky kind of sound. Not sure why she does that but effective non the less. I can't play like that admittedly!

[Mandobar]

the octave in the linked pictures is the Brock she has been playing since her days at NE Conservatory.

[Ray(T)]

I was there the other night in Leeds,they had a great sound. The harmonies from Antony De Costa were amazing as was his guitar playing. I went with my partner who plays in a blues band and he loved the guitar sounds he was getting, quite experimental. Her songs are lovely too. I'm unsure about her picking style, nearly all down strokes which marked for an odd clunky kind of sound. Not sure why she does that but effective non the less. I can't play like that admittedly!

By "nearly all down strokes", do you mean on banjo? If so that is a standard "old time" frailing technique. (Apologies to anyone mortally offended by the mention of a banjo!)

[Matt Harris]

By "nearly all down strokes", do you mean on banjo? If so that is a standard "old time" frailing technique. (Apologies to anyone mortally offended by the mention of a banjo!)

I'm guessing that Louise is referring to how she plays the main lick in House of Mercy, or similar, on the octave. Which I think is quite intentional, she must be going for that specific sound, as she's a good player and she doesn't do that in most of her stuff.

Here it is, there may be some other examples, but this is the first one that springs to mind:

**EDIT - Apparently the Cafe doesn't want the video to start in the middle, so fast forward to about 1:42

[Spruce]

the octave in the linked pictures is the Brock she has been playing since her days at NE Conservatory.

...which was heavily damaged by the airlines recently...
Talked to Fletcher the other day, and he said he fixed it.
Tough repair, but he got 'er done...

[Mandobar]

You'd think after all the bad press they'd be more careful.

[Johnny60]

On the Octave, she did play a number of solos with successive downstrokes, but I think that probably for effect. The mandolin solo was definitely up and down strokes.

[Lord of the Badgers]

Pretty sure this is the Brock though... (having looked back as a double check)



This was tonight at Bristol it utterly ruled

Only one tune on mando though. Pfft.

[Lord of the Badgers]

Similar experience in Sheffield late last year. Rather sterile presentation with little audience interaction but great musicianship.

she and Anthony were actually quite jovial and full of little quips tonight. Not loads, but enough to get some interaction with us

[Louise Starks]

By "nearly all down strokes", do you mean on banjo? If so that is a standard "old time" frailing technique. (Apologies to anyone mortally offended by the mention of a banjo!)

No I mean on both guitar and mandolin. Have a look at her doing Come on up to the house. A great version of Tom Waits but nearly all down strokes and it sounds odd. I think it's her style but it's slightly odd.
https://youtu.be/DzapgZI5SEc

[Johnny60]

Well, she definitely did use a lot of downstrokes in some of the songs on the Octave. However, the one and only mandolin tune she played on the night (Lands End/Chasing Talon) definitely had up and down strokes throughout all the main phrases - especially the Chasing Talon faster second part. It would be a massive challenge for anyone to play the second part at that speed just by using downstrokes.

Whatever, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

[ollaimh]

i love her music. her version of erin's green shore is fantastic and her own song "tell me true "is a modern classic. the six string banjo is a five with one lower bass string. it gives it great tone.

[Dagger Gordon]

I must admit I could have done with a lot more mandolin.
To be frank, I think she is better at it than her other instruments.

Still, she has a good little band and she deserves to do well. Good luck to her.

[Lord of the Badgers]

I must admit I could have done with a lot more mandolin.
To be frank, I think she is better at it than her other instruments.

Still, she has a good little band and she deserves to do well. Good luck to her.

yep. my only frustration - absolutely agree. I really enjoyed the songs, I just wished for more mandolin.

[Eric Oliver]

More cow-bel...mandolin! More Mandolin!

[golfcourseguy]

When she was still in school, she did a residency at the intimate Rockwood Music Hall, performing solo and with Alex on fiddle. The Brock octave mandolin she had was strung with octave strings on the G and D courses. I remember thinking at the time, "she uses up strokes when she wants to accentuate the higher of the pair". Everything she played, regard less of tempo, had a righteous groove.

[UsuallyPickin]

She definitely has a talent. I have yet to see her live but look forward to the opportunity to do so.

[Gelsenbury]

I saw the show in Canterbury yesterday and can second all of that. Great musicianship, great songs, very tight ensemble playing, very enthusiastic audience, but not enough mandolin for my taste. Personally, I also felt that the electric guitar, although very well played, was a little too loud in the mix.

But, let's face it, we as mandolin players are a niche audience. The crowd as a whole absolutely loved it and had good reason to do so. My wife loved it too and bought the new CD. It was a really good evening.