Mandolins On TV - Advance Notice

**Mandolin Mick** · Nov-11-2010, 2:47am

Nice sound job for the mandolin on "Country Strong" ... the most prominent instrument!

Didn't know that Gwyneth could sing!

**Ed Goist** · Nov-11-2010, 7:24am

Originally Posted by journeybear

Here's Gwyneth at thte CMAs. Not bad, ...snip...

Thanks very much Journeybear!
This was a huge surprise for me...I thought it was quite good! I think Gwyneth Paltrow has a very appealing voice. Moreover it didn't sound forced to me (IOW she sounded like an actual musician [like Jeff Bridges]).

Anyways, could anyone identify the mandolin player? We don't get a very good look at him, but it kinda' looked like Ronnie McCoury (?). Oh, and Vince Gill is great in my book...I don't understand why he's not a much bigger 'star' than he is.

**journeybear** · Nov-11-2010, 9:17am

Vince is a MASSIVE star. He has racked up plenty of awards as a singer and entertainer, and has hosted the show a few times, if memory serves me well. He may be slacking off a bit or just taking a bit of time off, or he may have jumped the shark with his 4-CD release a couple of years ago. But he'll back - he is so not done with his career, as far as I can tell.

Way too dark for me to identify the mandolinist for the brief time he is seen. Pretty sure it isn't Ronnie - hair color is too light. I do recognize Jim Lauderdale on acoustic guitar, third from the left. And yes - Gwyneth can, and did, sing. thankfully she sang unaffectedly (no twang or drawl) and it felt pretty real. I just don't expect her to quit her day job.

**journeybear** · Nov-25-2010, 7:55pm

OK, so I'm watching the Taylor Swift TV Special (yes, I am that hungry for seeing/hearing some good music on the tube, and despite her receiving a good bit of snobbish remarks hereabouts, Taylor displays flashes of brilliance, and her energy and enthusiasm are remarkable), and at the 40 minute mark a mandolin appears. It's in a rehearsal for a song she says she never does called Mean, in the afternoon on a rooftop stage (an impressive sight, and also later at night with the skyscrapers lit up.) First time I've ever seen mandolin included, and while this joy was somewhat tempered by the simultaneous inclusion of a banjo, it was still a joy. Even though this is a pretty nice show overall, it is frustrating that every song is broken up by an interview/tour/fan segment. Anyway, I didn't give any notice regarding this show - as I mentioned, I have never seen a mandolin in her band - and now I wish I had, as these things never get aired again. Well, it's no really big deal, and I don't think she has too many fans around here. But clips may show up on youtube - or hulu, as it's on NBC.

**Mike Bunting** · Nov-25-2010, 8:31pm

Who is Taylor Swift?

**journeybear** · Nov-25-2010, 8:54pm

Oh, maybe you Northerners haven't heard. She's a 21-year-old phenom, winner of many CMA awards, ACM awards, CMT awards, a few Grammys, even two Canadian Country Music Association awards.

So naturally, her music doesn't sound anything like country music.

**Mike Bunting** · Nov-25-2010, 9:00pm

I just don't pay attention to pop music and all that commercial stuff, to appeal to the masses, it must be pretty much L.C.D.

**journeybear** · Nov-25-2010, 9:17pm

Oh - you weren't kidding? Seriously? Well, here in the lower 48 she is the hottest thing in country music, despite her pop leanings, and is ubiquitous, nearly unavoidable. And it doesn't hurt that she is young, blonde, tall, skinny, and - what I find most interesting - a prolific songwriter, albeit rather focused on the concerns of the young (hence her rabid fan base of teens and tweens). She just released what I believe is her fourth album. I am still waiting for her voice to develop a bit more, maybe by the time she turns 25, at which time she will probably take over the music industry and rule it for the following 30 years.

Just so we're clear - she doesn't hold a candle to Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, or even Martina McBride or Miranda Lambert. But she is a force to be reckoned with, and in time will likely become the top selling female country artist of all time, and may even surpass Garth Brooks. And she does have some talent to back up her renown.

Correction: "Speak Now" is her third album. "Fearless" was such a monster and several songs from it had such a high presence that it seemed like there was another album in there. BTW, "Fearless" and her eponymous first album took the #1 and #2 slots on 2008 Year-End Canadian Country Albums Chart, according to wiki. She is pretty noticeable.

**journeybear** · Nov-25-2010, 10:52pm

BTW & FWIW & JDAMIIC - Taylor Swift is the featured guest on Letterman tonight, a repeat from 10/26. No MC - that's a given - but you can learn a lot about her, especially in the interview. She is a poised young lady, straddling the fence between gushy teenager and savvy showbiz pro. Really quite charming.

**journeybear** · Nov-29-2010, 9:08am

This week - finally! - some genuine verifiable mandolin content - even if it is only a repeat. A lot of country, which falls into the "you never know" (YNK) category. Plus a repeat of a great full-show appearance by Bruce Springsteen on Jimmy Fallon, which includes a hilarious cover of "Whip My Hair" (pop song from Will Smith's daughter) by Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young joined by Bruce as his late 70s self. Hilarious. Tune in early so you don't miss that.

11/29
Oprah: Keith Urban
DeGeneres: Rascal Flatts
Letterman: Steve Martin and the Punch Brothers (repeat from 11/5)
12/1
Leno: Darius Rucker
Fallon: Bruce Springsteen (repeat from 11/16)
12/2
Early: KT Tunstall (probably no MC, but YNK)
Kimmel: Darius Rucker

12/6
DeGeneres: Miranda Lambert
12/7
Leno: Keith Urban
12/9
DeGeneres: Keith Urban
Fallon: Robert Plant

**Mike Bunting** · Nov-29-2010, 11:51pm

"Letterman: Steve Martin and the Punch Brothers (repeat from 11/5)"
How cool is Steve Martin, (if it wasn't a gag), he's set up an award for banjo players and bluegrass musicians and Noam Pikelny was the first winner, on the Letterman show tonight.

**journeybear** · Nov-30-2010, 12:44am

Very cool, indeed. I would take him at his word about something like this. When it comes to music, he seems genuinely in awe of the musicianship of others he has encountered and defers to them consistently. He reserves his humor for onstage patter. This approach is subtle but speaks volumes.

**journeybear** · Dec-01-2010, 10:34am

Anybody watch the new show "Running Wilde," with Keri Russell and SNL's Will Arnett? (Fox, T 9:30 EST) It's pretty awful, a retread of the mismatched couple theme that is rather a cliché, despite some attempts to update the form. Anyway, mandolin is used throughout as background music, and it really sounds nice - well-played, well-produced. So far I have been unable to find out who plays it. I cannot recommend the show on this basis, however - can't turn down the dialogue to just hear the background music.

**journeybear** · Dec-01-2010, 11:52pm

Well, I'll be! Someone in Darius Rucker's band played an electric mandolin on The Tonight Show.

**Mike Bunting** · Dec-01-2010, 11:56pm

Darius Rucker?

**journeybear** · Dec-02-2010, 12:08am

The former lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish. Yeah, I know. What passes for country these days ... But I wish I could afford his publicist. He gets some high profile gigs, and shows up on TV a lot. In fact he'll be on Kimmel tomorrow night. Set your VCR now!

Just waiting for Sting to do a country album. He's done about everything else ...

**Markus** · Dec-02-2010, 5:00am

Originally Posted by journeybear

Anyway, mandolin is used throughout as background music, and it really sounds nice - well-played, well-produced. So far I have been unable to find out who plays it. I cannot recommend the show on this basis, however - can't turn down the dialogue to just hear the background music.

I noticed that too, but as we no longer tune in [first couple episodes had promise of humor, of late it's a few chuckles a show] I sure wouldn't recommend it either.

But I do recall hearing mandolin well used as backround music. Wonder if one of the producers plays ...

**journeybear** · Dec-06-2010, 10:07pm

Not a whole lot going on this week. (Is there ever? Well, yes, but ...) I keep hoping that OM that someone in Keith Urban's band plays will make an appearance. But the most likely occurrence is in Robert Plant's band. Even that is pretty iffy. Oh well ... tune in and see what happens. That's all one can do.

12/6
DeGeneres: Miranda Lambert
12/7
Leno: Keith Urban
12/9
DeGeneres: Keith Urban
O'Brien: She & Him
Fallon: Robert Plant

**journeybear** · Dec-07-2010, 11:51pm

Just a little follow-up: This OM/bouzouki/cowabunga did indeed show up in Keith Urban's appearance on Leno tonight. Couldn't tell you more than that because we never saw a close-up nor even heard it - in other words, it must be a mandolin because it got the typical short shrift they usually do.

Well, you can see for yourself. The Tonight Show repeats a week later at 3 AM EST, so the song would be at around 3:52 AM. Or catch it on hulu. FWIW. And it was played by someone else, while Keith played his usual burning lead on guitar. He is one of the few country singers who is also an accomplished lead guitarist, Brad Paisley and Vince Gill being the others. One reason why I follow him. Another being that they have married very nice looking performing artists.

Oh - and tune in to Ellen tomorrow to see if it shows up again.

**Markus** · Dec-08-2010, 7:17am

Was mandolin on yesterdays Sesame Street ... Was a repeat, but always sweet to hear my daughter say 'look papa, a mandolin'

**journeybear** · Dec-08-2010, 7:55am

Really? Who was the guest? I'd like to see that when it gets repeated.

**catmandu2** · Dec-12-2010, 10:43am

Along about Tuesday or Wednesday, there was a nice music show on my local PBS outlet: old world, incantation christmas music. This was a refreshing contrast to the usual MOR "celtic" christmas specials. Very nice, all acoustic, without even employing bass: tabla, doumbek, cello, fiddle, bouzouki, guitar, of course vocals. Guy even whipped out a Godin mandolin...but I was falling asleep at that point.

**Markus** · Dec-12-2010, 11:48am

Originally Posted by journeybear

Really? Who was the guest? I'd like to see that when it gets repeated.

Dan Zanes playing `Jump Up'.

Here should be a link via their site, otherwise YouTube always seems to have Sesame stuff:
http://www.sesamestreet.org/video_pl...8-a3d2ac25b65b

There is nothing better than your daughter unexpectedly saying `mandolin Papa, Dance!'.

He does a great job using mando as the lead instrument, I was happy to have him make it cool for me. It's on my `try out' list of tunes to play for her - songs that are aimed at kids but aren't annoying [there's a couple fantastic releases in the last year or two ... good music, but for kids].

I swear there was another tune [maybe Zanes as well] last year with mandolin.

**journeybear** · Dec-12-2010, 1:07pm

Awww! How cute! And the girl is playing a banjo-uke, too. Funny - banjo, uke or ukulele, and even mandolin are not in the list of tags. Whatever!

Thanks, Markus.

Gee, I wish I lived on Sesame Street. You start playing a song, suddenly all kinds of people just show up and start playing along, and they all know the song and it sounds so nice. Ah, there is music everywhere and magic in the air there!

**Ed Goist** · Dec-12-2010, 4:18pm

Originally Posted by Markus

Dan Zanes playing `Jump Up'.
...snip...
It's on my `try out' list of tunes to play for her...snip...

Markus, how delightful! Thanks for sharing.
Just in case you don't know, Zanes appears to have the lyrics and simple chord charts for all of his songs posted to his site. Here is the chart for 'Jump Up'.
I think this type of exposure is very beneficial for our great little instrument.
Thanks again.