Mike Compton's Gilchrists

**Tim W** · Jul-02-2012, 4:10pm

Years ago the day before he left for the "Down From The Mountain" tour, I stopped by to take him to lunch. We got to talking about that tune and that I wanted to learn it and I just happened to have my F5 laying in the back seat.

He tuned it for me to "git up John tuning" on the way to Cracker Barrel and it stayed in that tuning for probably 6 months. Thanks for posting that video PJ, I haven't heard him play it before I don't believe.

**jjboone101** · Jul-02-2012, 4:30pm

Mike's the best....great picker, great guy, good sense of humor, and fantastic taste in hats. What more could you ask for?

Really wish he'd do a DVD tutorial series on his Monroe-style approach...Happy Traum, you listening??

**Mike Bunting** · Jul-02-2012, 4:35pm

What a thrill!

**Don Grieser** · Jul-02-2012, 4:48pm

Originally Posted by Mike Bunting

What a thrill!

Yep, and as much fun as I've had playing music.

**mtucker** · Jul-02-2012, 6:02pm

Originally Posted by Don Grieser

Yep, and as much fun as I've had playing music.

very nice, Don. You sure looked like you were having fun! Both Gil's sounded great...although Compton's has been played into submission.

**Dave Hanson** · Jul-03-2012, 2:30am

Wonderful.

Dave H

**Wilbur James** · Jul-03-2012, 6:39am

Thanks for sharing, mike is an inspiration, I believe he is a living library of styles and songs and thank goodness he strives to keep those ancient tones alive, also not a bad mandolin he plays out the songs in his head. I have had the privilege of sitting in front of him on a few occasions, one memory that sticks out is when he played "The old gray mare came tearing out of the wilderness" it was awesome, he is a very nice gentleman as well!

**Perry** · Jul-03-2012, 7:37am

Originally Posted by jjboone101

Really wish he'd do a DVD tutorial series on his Monroe-style approach...Happy Traum, you listening??

I often hoped for the same thing but when I took webcam lessons from Mike Compton I recorded them per Mike's suggestion. Now I have a library of personalized Monroe instruction videos. There's always some nuance to learn even after repeated viewing.

Still a high quality Homespun Compton DVD would be purchased by myself immediately.

MC handed me his "5" once too..he seems to do that a lot

My first impression was how broken in it felt and sounded.

**JEStanek** · Jul-03-2012, 7:57am

I took these last summer at our Philadelphia Folk Festival. He said the wood came from a log on Sigorney Weaver's property IIRC. I wish I had asked to play it. I was feeling tallent low. Stupid mistake. How often will I have an opportunity like that again?

As magnificent as it was to see and shoot it up close, it was more fun watching and listening to Mike play it up close.

Jamie

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**Marty Henrickson** · Jul-03-2012, 9:11am

Thanks for sharing the videos, PJ and Don! The one chance I had to meet Mike, I got too distracted by spotting and talking to Roland White to approach MC.

**AlanN** · Jul-03-2012, 9:19am

Originally Posted by Perry

I often hoped for the same thing but when I took webcam lessons from Mike Compton I recorded them per Mike's suggestion. Now I have a library of personalized Monroe instruction videos. There's always some nuance to learn even after repeated viewing.

Still a high quality Homespun Compton DVD would be purchased by myself immediately.

Somewhere in the stack I have a semi-professionally-filmed video of Mike showing his thing. He was in a classroom, there was a blackboard in the background. Must be an hour+ long DVD. And there was disclaimer crawl which basically said 'Freely copy and share'.

Anyone remember/have this?

**Marty Henrickson** · Jul-03-2012, 9:30am

Alan, that almost sounds like a command!

**AlanN** · Jul-03-2012, 9:48am

Just askin' if anyone remembers that, it was several years ago that I watched it and the memory is admittedly faint.

**Don Grieser** · Jul-03-2012, 9:58am

Alan, that was recorded at Kaufman--Mike's presentation on the Old/Lonesome tunes. I think the DVD said it shouldn't be sold but you should send Mike some $ if you got one and were learning from it.

**Fred G** · Jul-03-2012, 11:29am

Originally Posted by Don Grieser

Alan, that was recorded at Kaufman--Mike's presentation on the Old/Lonesome tunes. I think the DVD said it shouldn't be sold but you should send Mike some $ if you got one and were learning from it.

I think that is what it says. I might have it somewhere if someone wants PM me.

**Mike Bunting** · Jul-03-2012, 1:11pm

Originally Posted by AlanN

Somewhere in the stack I have a semi-professionally-filmed video of Mike showing his thing. He was in a classroom, there was a blackboard in the background. Must be an hour+ long DVD. And there was disclaimer crawl which basically said 'Freely copy and share'.

Anyone remember/have this?

Yes, I do. To avoid him being flooded with emails, I won't name the member who had them, he can respond if he wants to. I believe it was shot at a Kaufman camp some years ago and were available through this member for a donation to MC hisself.

**blauserk** · Jul-03-2012, 10:35pm

Thanks for posting the pictures and video, Don (and PJ)! You sounded great, Don. The fact that you stood on stage and played with Compton and did not burst into flame is more than most mortals could have done.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some photos to save to my hard drive.

**pjlama** · Jul-03-2012, 10:54pm

My pleasure, I'll post some more from the concert but they are only sections of tunes when I get a chance.

**Don Grieser** · Jul-05-2012, 12:11pm

Here's the start of the second set out at Music Beneath the Mesa. The moon broke through the clouds, and there's a bit of light still on the rock on the mesa. This is about the best place I know to see live music.

Earlier in the show, while it was still light, you could see the moon. Mike called Lonesome Moonlight Waltz. Wish I had had the chance to run through it a couple times more recently than I had. I made it through with just a few brain #####.

**Marty Henrickson** · Jul-06-2012, 10:17am

Thanks for sharing the videos, Don! How great you got to play onstage with Mike!

**RobP** · Jul-06-2012, 10:48am

That was real nice don!

Originally Posted by Don Grieser

Mike invited Jon Pickens and me to join him at the start of the show out here. We got to run through it once during soundcheck. I think you can hear the difference in the mandolins (and the players).