Hot tuna meets the mandolin

**HotTunaHead** · Nov-27-2007, 9:11pm

Hi
my first post to the site, exciting

well as some can tell i'm a big Jorma and Jack hence my screen name

Jorma and Jack since 2002 have been playing with a great mandolin player Barry Mitterhoff. He's fantastic to put it mildly. If you haven't heard him you missing out.

i just listen to a recent download purchase of Hot Tuna, funny years ago i would be saying i just picked up the new disc or lp of... well I guess bands now have to keep with the times and Hot Tuna is no different they have a download site. Great for me i don't make it to as many shows as i once did.

Well I've seen barry play numerous times acoustic and he's a master. Fluid and flawless. I've seen him with a few different bands and heard recordings when he played with Tex Logan and Peter Rowan from the late 70's. However the show i downloaded from www.hottunatunes.com was a recent electric. I forget the date at the moment but anyway back to the topic at hand. WoW, pretty much sums it up for me!!! The electric mandolin and the electric octave mandolin have such a unique sound it's intoxicating. I would love to know what processing/effects Barry's using on stage. sounded like a wha, a little distortion, not sure whatelse. I wonder how difficult it is to go from playing acoustic mandolin to conquering the electric. It would seem to me it's a hole different approach. I do love those electric tones, Barry has such a unique approach completely different to that of String Cheese's master of the mandolin Michael Kang.

Anyone know of any other great electric mando players? i just can't get enough of that sound...I'm hooked

**SternART** · Nov-27-2007, 10:02pm

I've seen Jack & Jorma since the JA and then the first all acoustic Hot Tuna album.....which I consider a classic.
I've seen them here in N.Calif. twice with Barry, but he only played acoustic, as do I .....so someone else
will have to chime in, to answer your 'lectric questions. I was very pleased after all these years, to have mando
added to the mix!

**pjlama** · Nov-27-2007, 10:24pm

There's a Woodsongs up with Jorma, Barry (I think) and some guy named David Brom-something or other

pretty groovy indeed.

**HotTunaHead** · Nov-28-2007, 6:37am

very cool just went to woodsong's site and see they archive shows
here's the page

http://www.woodsongs.com/showlist.asp

lots of cool acts Jorma Kaukonen, Barry Mitterhoff, along with David Bromberg very cool as well as having shows from chris thile, bela fleck, tony trishka,Tony Furtado a killer guitarist/banjo/dobro player, the John Cowan Band, basially too many to list here.

**AlanN** · Nov-28-2007, 6:42am

So much music, so little time

**Laura Leder** · Nov-28-2007, 7:14am

Barry is the coolest!
Laura

**olgraypat** · Nov-28-2007, 3:06pm

Big Hot Tuna/Jorma fan...and I have an electric mando as well...but I don't get it out too much as of late..Welcome aboard.

**allenhopkins** · Nov-29-2007, 1:46pm

Anyone else remember Barry M and his old 3-point from Bottle Hill (Walt Michael, Lou London, Dave Jaffe, etc.)?

And later with Lynn Morris...

**Salty Dog** · Dec-01-2007, 12:42am

We saw them (Bottle Hill) play in Bainbridge, NY, in the very early 1970's. #I still remember his terrific rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (bluegrass mandolin style). #They were an excellent band, somewhat unique with Walt Michaels on hammer dulcimer (fiddle substitute) and produced at least 2 LPs. #I haven't been able to find them available currently, as I would like to get CDs of their music.

**mandomaybe** · Dec-01-2007, 12:57am

I went to school at a little state college in Oneonta, NY, and have very fond memories of seeing Bottle Hill at a restaurant/bar called The Tally Ho (I think that was it) for a Thanksgiving dinner dance concert back in the early 70's. A very fine guitarist in that group, Lew London, also did frequent solo shows in the area. Those were good days.

**Barry Platnick** · May-11-2008, 3:36pm

HOLY MOLEY!!!

I have been going tho Hot Tuna concerts since the 70's.
Wild screamin' Tuna shows and I gotta say I never would have imagined mandolin as an addition. However...I saw them for the first time in over 20 years, last night, and Mitterhoff was shredding on the electrics and added a great rock vibe. I was blown away. I wish some one coould tell me what axes he was playing.

Also, BTW Little Feet rocked but I miss Lowell George

**Rick Parrish** · May-11-2008, 4:14pm

From their web site...

Barry uses:
- Carr amps Rambler 1x12 combo
- Fishman loudbox
- Stevens 5-string electric mandolin; 'Paul Glasse' model (2005)
- Earnest Insruments 4-string electric mandolin; 'Swamp Cat Barry Mitterhoff' model (2005)
- Epiphone Mandobird mandolins (4 string & 8 string)
- GHS strings

**minnedolin** · May-11-2008, 6:23pm

Have yet to see the two together (or apart for that matter) They've been playing two nights at the Cedar Cultural Center in Mpls for the last few winters. Thanks to a dedicated sound-guru, I've been able to hear some of Jorma's recordings and needless to say Barry is amazing. I understand he plays the banjo also?

**Amandalyn** · May-12-2008, 7:48am

this is their online lesson site- barry has a few tunes:
http://breakdownway.com/

also check out their live concert downloads:
http://www.hottunatunes.com/do/welcome

**f5loar** · May-13-2008, 9:31pm

I always thought his best years on mandolin was the many years he was in Skyland.

**Lefty&French** · May-14-2008, 8:22am

I second this one. Had the pleasure to hear Trischka & Skyline (Tony, Larry, Dede, Danny and Barry

)live here in Toulouse in 1984: great musicianship!

**SternART** · May-14-2008, 10:05am

f5loar caught in a senior moment.....as good as he was back in the "Skyland?" era
IMO Barry is playing better than he ever has, Hot Tuna is a great format for him,
geeze to get to solo over that holy grail groove of Jack & Jorma must be awesome!

**f5loar** · May-16-2008, 6:39pm

sorry I'm still into bluegrass and the Hot Tuna guys don't do bluegrass sets plugged or unplugged.

**SternART** · May-19-2008, 12:32am

Hey I have those senior moments too....no apology necessary...and you're right Tom, those Tuna guys are into blues, not BG,
and that includes some of that pre BG Country Blues stuff. Mike Compton has been researching that ol' stringband blues ,
I took a workshop where he played a lot of it, interesting mando music. I've rediscovered Hot Tuna, now that there is mandolin in
there.....I find it more interesting now than the pre Mitterhoff days. Cool that Jorma is recording with the likes of Sam Bush,
Jerry Douglas & Bela Fleck too.....heros of mine from different genres, this kinda crossover makes for interesting listening.