Bad solo?

[Gallamine]

Go to Norah Jones' website and listen to the song Creepin In.
http://www.norahjones.com/home.htm

Is it just me or is that mando solo really weak? I've been playing for fun for 2-3 years and I think I could do a better job.

Am I just missing something?
-Gallamine

[keymandoguy]

I think the whole album is weak. I dont think Id buy it even at a yard sale ? lol Just my own opinion.

[mandoJeremy]

I am actually surprised they even let that solo go! Very sloppy and no tone! Just my opinion.

[August Watters]

Yup -- pretty weak. but in their defense, the recording is labeled "Live" -- so presumably some producer decided that an otherwise solid performance was worth enduring one lousy solo. Then again, I've seen artists record "live" albums with enough separation so that weak parts can be replaced in the studio. Maybe they didn't think of that! As for the lousy tone, I've played on plenty of stages with "experienced" sound engineers who didn't have a clue what a mandolin is supposed to sound like -- maybe this was one of those instances?

BTW: if you're having trouble finding the recording, I found it on the upper right corner under "radio" -- click forward a couple of times to scroll through other songs.

August W

[mandofiddle]

Sounds like it was done on a cheap instrument with a cheap pickup by someone who doesn't care too much about the tone.

[archie]

I heard her on "World Cafe" last week doing a live show, and there was a neat mandolin solo by Kevin Bright, who is a new addition to the band. I think he's mainly a guitarist. It was good, imaginative playing, and he has a unique sound...at least to my taste. I enjoy hearing mando in more popular settings. Good for you, Ms. Jones!
-archie

[Sellars]

Now, come on! It isn't entirely good, but it isn't that bad!

Sure his mando sounds a little thin, but the playing isn't all that bad (yes, a little sloppy, but how many BG manolinists play faster than they really can and are really sloppy)

The solo in the middle is quite acceptable. The ending solo less.

I like the song as it is performed here, and I am glad to see/hear some mando occuring in mainstream music.

[August Watters]

I like the song as it is performed here, and I am glad to see/hear some mando occuring in mainstream music.

Thanks for that thought, Sellars -- maybe it's important we keep our perspective here. The fact that an artist like Norah Jones is considered "mainstream" at all speaks volumes about the appeal and success of acoustic music today.

August W

[Magnus Geijer]

It should also be pointed out that this version isn't on the album. It's just a web site freebie.

[Áine]

Well, I went and listened to the song, and I have to give Norah an A+ for putting a mandolin in the song to begin with; but, I'm giving a D to the guitar (only) player who thought he could 'get by' on a mandolin. #I'm betting that it was a very good instrument; just being played by someone who doesn't know a nut from a tailpiece!

I'm still going to listen to her music. #I just hope she hires a real mandolin player next time.

All the best, Áine

[Dru Lee Parsec]

I agree, I wouldn't have let that solo go on an album.

And now for a bit of trivia that just about everyone knows #

Who is Nora Jones' father?

[mandofiddle]

Ravi Shankar

[JimF9]

Yeah, but she sure is purtty.......

[GBG]

I think they got the funky mandolin sound they wanted on that song-creepy.

[mandough]

I think that the solo is actually quite good. Sounds "down home" and not so virtuoso-like. I like the ending bit the best though, because it's the "let loose/off kilter" part of the song that works for me.
I heard from a friend that Norah was one of the highlights at the Gram Parsons tribute out here in L.A. She played with some of Parson's old band, as did the others. Stellar show, from what I hear. I almost broke a chair though when I heard that Dwight Yoakam did a "ROCKING!" version of "Sin City".
By the way, don't knock Norah, anyone that would get the respect of Tom Waits is okay with me.

[ira]

just listened. 1st off- i do like the tune and her voice is spectacular. the mando solo is kinda weak and the tone was thin and sketchy (sounds a little like some of mine), but it is a live album and i guess thats how it sounded.

whatever the case, i too am glad to see mando on an accepted by the mainstream artist's album. sloppy, thin or not- it is a great thing for awareness of the mandolin.

just my 2

[ira]

if you go to the site listed above in the first posting, go to photos/pics and click on gallery 13 (first one)then click on 3rd pic bottom row, you can see the guy with his mando, but i couldn't tell the maker.

[RobP]

Well, I just had to listen too I didn't think the solo was that bad, just a bit sloppy as has been pointed out before. The tone was a bit squonky too.. but that's ok. The song as a whole is incredible -- love the vocal harmonies.

Well, Gallamine, if you can do a better solo than that after your 2-3 years playing, my hat is off to you! I have been playing almost 3 years, and I play a lot of the breaks in our trio, but they are still pretty much carefully choreographed, memorized and limited to an ornamented melody or a harmony line. The solo on this song sounded like it was made up on the fly -- which I still consider super challenging.

Cheers to you all... I love this place!

Rob in Oregon

[mandofiddle]

Just my opinion, but if this guy is going to be making up a solo on the fly for a live CD that is being released by Blue Note Records, he'd better be a lot better than that. Still my opinion, but if I was in a band of Norah's caliber, I'd have all my solos worked out ahead of time and have them down packed and be able to play them clean. If I couldn't play it clean, I'd simplify it to the point that I could play it clean.

[duuuude]

OK, curiousity got me & I had to listen. Sure beats the pants offa anything I could come up with, which ain't hard to do, maybe not the best I've heard but surely passable by my standards.

[mandough]

From the photos, the guy playing the mandolin is Robbie McIntosh. #He played in the Pretenders (The "Back in the Chain Gang" years) and Paul McCartney's band. #He's regarded as one of the finest studio musicians around. #
Probably the first time he had a go at the song.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

I had a listen and it sounded "weak" in terms of volume and maybe tone too, but I found it suited the song fine and was really playing a duet with the piano so freedom to improvise is limited.
She sure has a nice voice and sings a nice song.

[TerryA]

Well, I liked it. Why? Because his part fit the song.
That little "Chicky-chick" rythm thing he was doing worked,
and the solo sorta maintained that stacatto vein. Actually,
I could imagine a banjo-lin (ala David Grisman on the
Retro-Grass cd) for that part...no tone, but the rythm
would be like claw-hammer banjo sound that I (should I
admit it?) ENJOY. Making your part fit the song is as
important as all the tone, speed, and licks, and he
pulled that off. You never know where these threads
lead. That's the first time I've heard Nora Jones. Now
I gotta go listen to some Monroe because that Nora Jones
song is stuck in my head!

[mandomood]

the phrasing of the solo was great for the tune...simple.

I know a bunch of hired players that are picked up because of their looseness and decent abilities with alot of instruments, having a basic understanding of how they work and some familiarity with their 'traditional use',

but at the end of the day the love either pop oriented music and having alot of fun with improvisation in a pop setting or are happy to have a job and will play what they can and have fun with it...

some folks try to be good musicians and some try to be good mandolin players or good guitar players...some just play...there are differences

all in all, the tone could have been more acoustic friendly but I don't think the player or engineers were worried about tone...