More like this?

**Bob Wiegers** · Dec-05-2007, 2:56pm

I've started composing simple, mellow little tunes, but I've had a hard time categorizing them, and therefore had a hard time finding recordings from which to draw more inspiration.

I've recently realized that the track called "Short Trip Home" from Edgar Meyer, Mike Marshall, Sam Bush and Joshua Bell is pretty much what I'm aspiring to. If you havent heard it, you can check it out here, among other places: http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Short%20...ome:1921656494 (I'm referring to the title track, not the whole album in this case). there are some tracks on Bela Fleck's first "Acoustic Planet" album that evoke the same idea, but that's usually much more complex than what I'm after.

so, can anyone recommend recordings similar to the title track on the "Short Trip Home" album? also, how you'd categorize it? not that I care too much about labels, but it's strange to look at the many genres listed here in the categories and not be able to find quite the right one.

thanks!

**Daniel Nestlerode** · Dec-05-2007, 4:41pm

Lots of this kind of music will not be played on Mandolin specifically, but it's easy to hear how mandolin would fit. I think you'll like Jay Ungar and Molly Mason's work. Check out the tunes "Lover's Waltz" and "Ashokan Farewell." Also check out Appalachian Journey (Ma, Meyer, O'Connor).

Daniel

**MNDOLNR** · Dec-05-2007, 5:57pm

My absolute favorite acousticlassicalish tune like this is "Sliding Down" from Uncommon Ritual by Edgar, Bela, and Mike. It's a tune that stays with you for days...

Uncommon Ritual

**stevem** · Dec-05-2007, 6:27pm

Ditto on "Sliding Down." That song just transports me to another world. "Big Country" is awesome too. Uncommon Ritual isn't necessarily my favorite CD, but it continues to surprise and has opened my mind to more ideas than probably any other CD.

**Bob Wiegers** · Dec-05-2007, 7:15pm

thanks for the suggestions. I havent listened to those in a while. and yes, Big Country is an awesome one too. I love the version on the Flecktones recording, and they do it so well in concert.

**Peter Hackman** · Dec-06-2007, 1:46am

If you play around a bit with the search function you may find a thread about listing ten (best, or most important) "new acoustic" CD's. There were lots of good suggestions (mine included).

**Peter Hackman** · Dec-06-2007, 3:41am

The topic is:

Ten essential "new acoustic" albums?

started on

Nov. 21 2004, 02:43

**Bob Wiegers** · Dec-06-2007, 7:05am

found it here http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....coustic

good stuff, thanks! and I looked up Sliding Down...yes, a wonderful, haunting tune. I also like Shamrock Shore from "Into the Cauldron". I actually tried playing that in church once, and it sadly was a bit of a trainwreck, but that's a different story...

**Hondo** · Dec-06-2007, 7:52am

How about Strength in Numbers' One Winter's Night? There's another arrangement on Mark O'Connor's 30 Year Retrospective, which has some incredible tunes as well.