Matt Flinner-The view from here

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Just wanted to start a topic on matt flinner. #I don't see him mentioned to much and to me, he is one of the best out there. A progressive mandolinists without pyrotechnics but with the tons of feel and lyrical like content in his playing. #He plays the newgrass stuff but it isn't always a million notes. #He is very emotional and economic with his note choices. #I especially like his first solo album the view from here(and the first Phillips grier and flinner album). #Very laid back and with lots of breathing room and groove. #David grier really shines on matts tunes because of the space in the arrangemnts and melody. #Allows him to do alot of chordal melody. The first tune is absolutly my fave-redshift I believe its called. #Any comments about this album, anyother albums, ect...

[jjboone101]

Agree 100%. He's not flamboyant or controversial, so he doesn't seem to get lots of attention but I think he is right up there. I have all of his CDs and have seen him perform 4-5 times. He plays with such a soulful, effortless approach, it's kind of irritating for hackers like me. Hard to believe he started as a banjo picker (won Winfield years back) and then came over to the good team...

[Don Grieser]

I'm also a great fan of The View From Here. Black's Fork is another great tune on that album. He pulls some of the best tone ever out that Gilchrist he plays. I especially like what Matt and David Grier do with Old Dangerfield in their live sets. They really take it for ride. Matt's also one of the few to win at Winfield in both mandolin and b@njo. And a genuinely nice guy, too.

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

If anyone is interested, I just worked out the chords to redshift.

Also, I heard he was in a bluegrass band called sugarbeat-any info on that?

[mandofiddle]

I'll agree with Don on the fact that he's a genuinely nice guy. Real down to earth too...

[Crowder]

All of the Philips/Grier/Flinner stuff is first rate acoustic music, and I really enjoy Matt's more acoustic solo albums. I didn't really enjoy the Matt Flinner Band album that was released last year...not that it was bad, it was just so far from the stuff I've been listening to. It sounded a lot like John Scofield's music to me.

[dane]

Flinner may be my favorite mandolinist, and if you like his style, you should also take a listen any of the three CDs by his then-wife Judith Edelman. Very nice stuff and lots of terrific mando.

[om21ed]

By chance I bought A View From Here, its great. If anybody has the dough, I think he's got a Gibson Monroe listed in the classifieds

[Wando]

It's hard to pick a favorite at any point in time, but Flinner is tied for first in my book. "Sam I Am" from "Latitude" is one of my favorite mando tunes of all time.

[craigmurray]

Flinner is also one of my favorites. The View from Here is a fantastic album, with City Chickens being my personal favorite.

[mandopete]

I'd agree too, Matt is definately one of the most tasteful players out there!

It may interest some to know that Matt was David Long's first mandolin teacher. David only starting playing the day Bill Monroe died (thats eerie in and of itself) and he sure has come a long ways snce. Matt must have been a good teacher!

[Bob Caldwell]

Matt will be teaching week 2 at Nashcamp this year. Eight people only, 5 days, and student perfomance at the Station Inn. It's a blast.
Bob Caldwell

[mandomood]

Flinner gets great tone out of that Gil...

he has a great chop and really cool phrasing...definitely not the 'norm' if there is such a thing anymore. I'd be interested to know what kinds of things he taught David Long and just what those kinds of guys would focus on mostly in a lesson. Has anyone here taken lessons from either David Long or Matt?...

[Andy R]

Flinner has become one of my top two favorites (along with Sam Bush).

Crowder, you must be talking about 'Walking on the Moon'. It was a bit different. It had a heavy Jazz influence. I did like it except for one song that was a little bit too New Age sounding for me.

It took a second listen for me to catch the fact that 'Men From Boise' (Walking on the Moon) was a jazzed up version of 'Rayburn Avenue' (Latitude). I really like both but maybe the jazzed vrsion better.

BTW, I just learned 'Getting There' (Phillips Grier and Flinner). What a fun song to play.

Thanks Scott.

[Taube Marks]

Didn't notice how long this post has been going on...but I too have wondered why we do not see Matt Flinner's name in print.

He is an excellent musician...he knows all the theory (I seem to recall he was a music major)and knows how to put it into practice. #Matt Flinner taught at Sore Fingers(United Kingdom's bluegrass camp that takes place in the spring) last year and did an excellent job bringing together a sizeable class. #We spent plenty of time working on chordings, double stops and played (and even sang) a number of tunes, each one very different from the last, so we had Monroe, rubbing shoulders with Grisman followed by tradtional fiddle tunes. #

On top of it all, he was a genuinely nice guy (with a very nice Gilchrist)...

Taube