Looking for Tim Duran

**robbif** · Jul-07-2012, 6:38am

I met Tim and the rest of the Arm Bros band back in the 70s.

In 2009, banjo player Jerry Oland wrote in Bluegrass Blog (now Bluegrass Today):
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Tim’s Mexican-American, originally from Oxnard. I met him at Bean Blossom in 1972. He then moved to Poughkeepsie, NY to play mandolin with me in the Arm Bros. In the mid-70's Tim played mandolin with Larry Sparks, recording a Christmas album with him. No one I know has seen or heard from him since early 2000, but he may still be living in the Pear Blossom area. He was a great mandolin player.
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Please see the Arm Bros. audio and photo project I did with Jerry’s, fiddle player Evan Stover’s and bass player Bob Pool’s, help...

http://frobbi.org/armbros/

Here's "Timmy's Prairie" from the project above: http://frobbi.org/armbros/TimmysPrairie.mp3

Any help would be appreciated.

Fred

**barney 59** · Jul-07-2012, 11:25am

He left bluegrass for rock and roll and formed the band "Duran Duran"? It's not uncommon for musicians to disappear from music like that. They decide to have a family, don't want to be on the road, get a job so everyone eats,that kind of thing. David Bromberg did something like that and right at the top of his game too! He reappeared 20 odd years later. It isn't that common to disappear off the planet though.

**Glassweb** · Jul-07-2012, 12:46pm

I was friends with Evan back in the early 70's and met Tim through Evan as they were both in the Arm Bros. band which was, of course, a fantastic group. Tim was an exceptional mandolin player and once told me his favorite Monroe mandolin tune was Turkey in the Straw... then proceeded to rip through it note for note. Tim had a great right hand! I'm sure he's out there somewhere... hopefully playing!

**uncle ken** · Jul-07-2012, 1:24pm

Heard from mutal friends on facebook that he passed away, no details though. I always enjoyed his company.

**robbif** · Jul-07-2012, 1:59pm

Originally Posted by barney 59

He left bluegrass for rock and roll and formed the band "Duran Duran"? It's not uncommon for musicians to disappear from music like that. They decide to have a family, don't want to be on the road, get a job so everyone eats,that kind of thing. David Bromberg did something like that and right at the top of his game too! He reappeared 20 odd years later. It isn't that common to disappear off the planet though.

Afraid not. Thanks anyway.

**robbif** · Oct-18-2012, 10:07am

Thanks to a miraculous post on MandoHangout, I'm back in touch!

**Tim2723** · Oct-18-2012, 11:50am

I'm not looking for Duran, but I'm still waiting for Godot.

**Glassweb** · Oct-18-2012, 12:10pm

Originally Posted by robbif

Thanks to a miraculous post on MandoHangout, I'm back in touch!

fantastic news! glad to hear he's alive and well! hopefully still playing... do tell, do tell!

**pglasse** · Oct-18-2012, 12:45pm

Tim Duran was the first pro-level mandolinist that I ever saw in person. (This is before I'd ever picked up a mandolin.)

I grew up in Poughkeepsie NY, saw the Arm Brothers many, many, times and remember well when Timmy Duran was brought into the band. His fine playing made it very clear how high the bar was set to be a "real" mandolinist.

Back in the 1970s he, for a bit, owned one of the Dave Apallon F-5 mandolins (with a very shiny refinish) and later had a very nice Loar in addition to his early Givens F-5 model.

I'm so glad he's resurfaced.