I must admit, I prefer listening to mandolin played in small ensembles. To my ears, a lot of the qualities of the instrument are lost in larger groups (talking mostly live performances and jams).
Marshall/Thile, Compton/Long, Grier/Thile, Scott/O'Brien are examples of duos I really like. Trios can be really cool too... Andy Statmans band (mandolin/bass/drums), or maybe Compton playing with Hartford (sometimes only bass/mandolin/banjo).
Don't get me wrong, I love mandolin in larger ensembles too... but honestly, in bluegrass I often find the fiddle more interesting.
So, am I alone in this?
Bookmarks