If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

[catmandu2]

Could the 'player' be deceased?

Bach

[mandocrucian]

[Denny Gies]

This question is toooooooooooo hard to answer.

[Chanmandolin]

Maybe not my #1 answer buy how come nobody talks about Shawn lane from Blue Highway on the cafe? He was one of my inspirations growing up. Always loved his tone and how he would shape the melody around his solo.

[jesserules]

Ry Cooder.

[Mark Wilson]

I figured this thread would be dominated by "which of the big name players do you like?". Me, I'm going with a Pacific Northwest local: Tim Connell. Seems like he can play anything: old-time and bluegrass (check out his album June Apple), Celtic (that was his major or minor at the NY Conservatory of Music), and he's apparently nationally-known for choro (I wouldn't recognize a choro song if I heard one). Love his stage presence, love his style, love his tone. Amazing player, and very accessible through the workshop he does once a month at Dusty Strings. Yeah, I'm a groupie. Though if he's all I get to listen to, he needs to record more to fatten up that catalog.

That would be my one atm. If you should listen to what moves you most - he's it right now

[Ivan Kelsall]

Chanmandolin - I listen to Shawn Lane nearly everyday. Blue Highway are one of my very favourite bands. Their songs are so melodic,it's hard not to like everything that they do,so,i use their recordings as 'pick along' tunes. Here's one that'll shake the dust off - ''Monrobro''.
Shawn's ''Dearstone'' mandolin sounds as good as 'any' i've heard to date !,
Ivan

[Chanmandolin]

Chanmandolin - I listen to Shawn Lane nearly everyday. Blue Highway are one of my very favourite bands. Their songs are so melodic,it's hard not to like everything that they do,so,i use their recordings as 'pick along' tunes. Here's one that'll shake the dust off - ''Monrobro''.
Shawn's ''Dearstone'' mandolin sounds as good as 'any' i've heard to date !,
Ivan

Yes ! Love Shawn. Looking forward to seeing them in just 2 weeks time! I noticed in a video recently Shawn wasnt playing the "dearstone", and it was a very noticeable difference

[zedmando]

Mandolin player?
Probably Yank Rachell.
maybe Rich Del Grosso

Both of whom I think I discovered due to this forum.

[Dave Hanson]

It would have to be me, or in your own case you, if that was the only one you could listen to, why would you listen to anyone else.

Dave H

[Dave Hanson]

I think what the OP really meant was ' who is your favourite mandolin player ? '

Dave H

[mcgroup53]

Reischman

[JeffD]

So if you want to pick one player, who by listening to, could improve your playing the most, and inspire you to great achievement, I would pick Jacob Reuven.

[Cornelius Morris]

Frank Wakefield. And then Jack Tottle every other day.

[bratsche]

It would have to be me, or in your own case you, if that was the only one you could listen to, why would you listen to anyone else.

Dave H

Yep, that sounds like a "trick question" to me... listening to "only one" would preclude anyone's ever playing again if their choice were anyone else, wouldn't it?

bratsche

[9lbShellhamer]

I think what the OP really meant was ' who is your favourite mandolin player ? '

Dave H

I do think there are people who may choose someone other than their "favorite" player.

They're not mutually exclusive.

I would probably choose the player I can learn the most from and who has an extensive catalog.

I just wanted to see who's catalog I need to become reacquainted with, and there were good players listed who I am revisiting now.

[Nathan Kellstadt]

I think what the OP really meant was ' who is your favourite mandolin player ? '

I actually took it the other way. Although for a lot of people, if they could only listen to one player for the rest of their lives, it would likely be their favorite player, there are those for whom the two are different. My favorite movie is 2001: A Space Odyssey, but if I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life, I'm going with Die Hard, no hesitation. When I (reluctantly) chose Jethro, I was thinking about how his music invariably takes me to a particularly happy place. However, I know better than trying to pick a "favorite" player. That's impossible (for myself anyway).

[Jeramey cecil]

If we are talking about being able to listen to any album that the artist has played on. I would probably have to say Grisman also. He has brought together and played with so many other great artists in multiple genres and instruments.

[Eric Platt]

Ralph Tuttila - mandolin player for Finn Hall. He's my main influence right now, as well as being a friend. In fact, it was working with him in a project to pass along Finnish music that got me to pick the mandolin up again after a number of years. And has helped me improve faster than I have at any other time playing the instrument.

And yes, I am familiar with most everyone on the list. It's just Ralph is the person who got me to do something with the mandolin again.

Close second would be Bob Douglas. Another local mandolin hero. And occasional performer on A Prairie Home Companion. Also a great person.

[Dagger Gordon]

For great mandolin, but also getting the benefit of his singing, fiddling, guitar and bouzouki playing and fine groupwork I think you could do worse than Tim O'Brien.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Me.

[MikeZito]

I'll stick with my old friend, Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys. Bill's style was so unique that Jethro Burns actually sought him out at one time - and if you're good enough to make Jethro come looking for you, you must be pretty special.

[PiginaPen]

I guess I should listen to more Grisman. I was never a Dead Head but I listened to his version of Rain and Snow live and it seemed very liquored up and off key. Since, I have always avoided his music.

To answer the OP. Ricky Skaggs has the perfect blend of vocal and musical talent so he would be my choice...BUT if Vince Gill had more bluegrass to offer I'd lean his way. When he does bluegrass I feel like God is handing me a gift.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't see how any answer is possible. . . .

For this boy, the answer isn't just possible, it's obvious. If I were stuck on a desert island or sentenced to life in solitary and could only listen to one musician, it would have to be me.

Even though I'm not a great musician, I'd lose my mind if I couldn't have an instrument to play.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I guess I should listen to more Grisman. I was never a Dead Head but I listened to his version of Rain and Snow live and it seemed very liquored up and off key. Since, I have always avoided his music. . . .

Yeah, give him another chance. Live performances can swing either way. One show doesn't necessarily tell you much, no matter who the artist is. He might have been drunk when you heard him, but with Grisman, it's more likely that he had the flu. The show must go on.

I heard him at a festival in the late eighties, and he put on a memorable show. I didn't realize then that he was the mandolin player I'd been enjoying for years on "Friend of the Devil."

One thing that's nice about Grisman is that he's not locked into a genre. Whether he's playing bluegrass, jazz, or world music, he's one of the most sure-footed artists around. Just the fact that he's held his own with the likes of Stephan Grapelli is enough to suggest that he might be a worthwhile earful.

(In fact, if you can stand jazz, the live Grisman/Grapelli album would be a great place to start.)