Who is your favorite Mandolin Player? And which song?

[Pranav Ajay Warrier]

Chris Thile is my favorite mandolin player and I like his cover of 2+2=5. I am rather new to this community so that is subject to change, however.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Too many mandolin players & far too many tunes between them to allow for any meaningful answers. We all have our favourites - until we hear the ''next one'' !!,
Ivan

[William Smith]

I'm the type of player that loves way too many styles of players, the ones that stand out to me play old Gibson's because that's the tone/voice of a mandolin that I love! Players like David Grisman, John Duffey, Gene Johnson, Dave Appollon, Big Mon, Chris Thile-when Loar playing not the Dude!, Tony Williamson, Pickers like that!, I'm just a fan of the 20's-30's Gibson's even the Old shortnecks like 7's,10's,12's even some of the old A models, sure some newish mandolins are great also but I guess I'm a Gibson Nut! I'm not knocking on Duffs, Gils, Montes, Paganoni's etc...they are wonderful also but the old stuff gets my heart a pumping, its just the things from a different time, awesome little pieces of history.

[Pranav Ajay Warrier]

Too many mandolin players & far too many tunes between them to allow for any meaningful answers. We all have our favourites - until we hear the ''next one'' !!,
Ivan

I suppose you're right haha.

[Mark Wilson]

Agree with Ivan. Usually my favorite is the last good one I just heard. But
Grisman on Watson's Blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnJfpjXpr8s) if I had to pick

[Paul Busman]

Although I love hearing all sorts of mandolin players,Chris Thile is my favorite (so far). Apart from his staggering technical skill,the range of different music that he plays is what really attracts me.He does anything from Bach to Bluegrass and beyond to his own compositions. I've even heard him play brief snippets of heavy metal tunes.On top of that, I enjoy his singing too.

[Eric Platt]

Impossible for me to say. Ralph Tuttila is my favorite player. But he's also the one that got me into playing mandolin this time around. My other favorites are also all locals to the Twin Cities, Peter Ostroushko, Bob Douglas, Dick Kimmel, and the late Bill Hinkley. Oh, and Chirps Smith from IL is also one of my favorite mandolin (and fiddle) players.

No way I could ever pick one tune. Right now, it's Ellin poikka from Finn Hall (featuring Ralph).

And while I like listening to all the big names that everyone has mentioned (and will be mentioning), these are the folks I go back to time and time again to grab inspiration. Not just with mandolin playing, but music in general.

[Denny Gies]

Ivan did get it right. Just pick a name out the hat and that's my favorite..................at the moment.

[lflngpicker]

Currently: Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange on "That Wrecking Ball." All time: Ricky Skaggs...

[Seamus B]

Growing up in an Irish home I was attracted to the playing of Derek Warfield of The Wolfe Tones, and of course Barney McKenna and John Sheehan of The Dubliners. Then later on, Terry Woods of The Pogues, and Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention.

Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Marla Fibish, especially The Morning Star album with Jimmy Crowley. And also, our very own maestro-teacher Baron Collins-Hill in his Velocipede guise (especially Hunt the Squirrel (2015)). Both are wonderful players and we are blessed that they are happy and willing to teach us!

[MikeZito]

Whenever I think mandolin, I think Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys. If I had to pick one song, it would be 'Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet'. He did the song live, in the studio - played an awesome mandolin counter-melody, while singing harmony at the same time . . . no studio tricks, no overdubs. Just plain, WOW!

[Teak]

For sure one cannot pick out one mandolinist on one song for all time.

This week I will take David Grisman on "Dawgalypso".

Quite a few weeks ago (try 1979), it was Sam Bush on slide mandolin on "Lonesome and a Long Way from Home".

Last week it was Greg Schochet on "Swing Gitane".

[farmerjones]

This week I will take David Grisman on "Dawgalypso".

And when I think of David Grisman, I think of Jethro Burns' Lady be Good.

Thile's ok, but it's Mike Compton's time, in the CD player right now.

I'll soon dig out the Pizza Tapes again. It's never far away.

[KGreene]

I’d have to go with John Maberry “today” (Reno Tradition)... Nothing spectacular, just clean with a subtle fluency ..... he’ no slouch with guitar either.

[lukmanohnz]

Joe K. Walsh - I Shall Be Released...
No wait.... John Reischman - A Prairie Jewel....
Whoops, I mean David Grisman - wait, I have to pick one song????
Actually it's Joe Walsh. Definitely Joe Walsh.
Wait, maybe John Reischman.
David JoJo Grisalshman. My favorite mandolinist is David JoJo Grisalshman. My favorite song of his is the last one I listened to.

[T.D.Nydn]

This is very difficult,I grew up with Burns,Monroe,Statman and Grisman, not my favorite,but Evan Marshall playing William Tell Overture just blows me away every time I hear it,,might be the best thing I ever heard on the mandolin,I really enjoy Chris Henry playing West Dakota Rose...

[Posterboy]

At the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vr7uQgo000

[Miltown]

"Back and Forth" by Andy Statman, off his Andy's Ramble album. But like others have said, if you check back with me tomorrow it will likely be a different song (though probably still one by Andy Statman).

[mandopops]

It’s a tie.
Jethro (w/ Homer) “Don’t Let the Stars get in your Eyes” from Live in the Country Club,
& Giovanni Vicari “Musetta’s Waltz” by Puccini.
Joe B

[mandroid]

Lots of famous people mentioned..

Of those who make it all the way out here,

Managed to get Frank Wakefield to come out here, due to a conversation started via this site..


Liked Brian Oberlin , ans Evan Marshall , separately and as a duo.

& long time local . now Portland Oregon based Peter 'Spud' Siegel...

Not a friend, he really has nothing but a rare word in reply when I say hello at his gigs,

coming back out to the coast.

Goonieville..


..

[THart]

Impossible for me to say. Ralph Tuttila is my favorite player. But he's also the one that got me into playing mandolin this time around. My other favorites are also all locals to the Twin Cities, Peter Ostroushko, Bob Douglas, Dick Kimmel, and the late Bill Hinkley. Oh, and Chirps Smith from IL is also one of my favorite mandolin (and fiddle) players.


Gotta add Richard Kriehn to that list. The more I hear him the more impressed I become. There is a long, long line of great players out there. Oddly enough (maybe) thinking back probably the first mandolin player that really made an impression on me in the '70's was Ry Cooder. Love his blues mando!

[Tmcmakin]

Probably Ricky Skaggs for me. I like the song Missing Vassar quite a lot.

[Delaware]

Chris Thile’s performance on Douglas Fir


https://youtu.be/aG0aW_GHdRs

[Lowlands Blue]

Difficult to pick one song or player, but I'll go with something I like, because not only is the song awesome, but its a personal favorite.

Cattle in the Cane by Sam Bush on the Bluegrass Extravaganza compilation album. One of the first more difficult songs I learned to play, and until this day a challenge for me.

[mbruno]

My favorite changes depending what I'm listening to or trying to learn at the time. But I've found the below folks are the ones I would go out of my way (i.e. travel) to see (in no order)

+ Chris Thile - both inspiring and humbling to listen to him play. While he's moved far away from straight bluegrass, even his first album (Leading Off) is amazing (humbling that a ~12 year old Thile would crush me in a mandolin playing contest today haha)

+ Joe K Walsh - Some really interesting voicing and chord choices on his songs. I especially like "Never More Will Roam"

+ Mike Marhsall - He was technically my first mandolin teacher (showed me a few things at the Greyfox Bluegrass festival in 2005) so he always has a special place for me. His album Into the Cauldron (with Thile) is awesome. The Duo album with Darol Anger is another favorite and Uncommon Ritual (Edger Meyer, Bela, and Marhsall) is fantastic too

+ Aaron Weinstein - seriously admire his solo jazz techniques for chord melody playing - check out his videos!!

+ Sierra Hull - Great blends of ballads and up tempo - plus her instrumental solo and duos are awesome. Bombshell is always a favorite

+ Jaime Mansfield - He was probably the first mandolinist I really listened to with the Jazz Mandolin Project. I saw him live in Albany NY and was hooked. He does awesome renditions of Zeppelin tunes

+ Scott Gates - a Cali-kid who's not only a really cool dude, but has got a real knack for cross picking a la Jethro style. He plays with the Salty Suites and sometimes with the Get Down Boys in LA

+ Sam Bush - Always a rowdy fun time. His rhythm playing is incredible and fits his style perfectly. Anything with the Newgrass Revival works - or any solo show from Greyfox :) (he's playing there this year BTW)

There's so many more, but not enough time to name them all.

[jefflester]

Chris Thile (with Mike Marshall). Song - Shoulda Seen It Comin' (from the Woodsongs afterset)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uwdpcb-oD8

[Seter]

Frankly I really like listening to our very own David Hansen's YouTube channel, his videos usually come up whenever I search a song I'm trying to learn.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJATHzYj6eI

[V70416]

18 years ago,at the Classical Mandolin meeting in Atlanta,Chris Thile was there(they missplelled his name on the flier="Christ Thile"). I have to say he made the biggest impression on
me of any mando player I had ever heard. He demonstrated great classical skills;but,it was obvious he could play anything just brilliantly. And he was so approachable,generous and cool.

Speaking of cool; Don Stiernberg...Like the other side of the pillow.

So many fine players these days! Hard to pick a fave player let alone a song/tune.

Love Johnny"Rocket" Staats.

Nobody quite like The Dawg. True renaissance man. He started the whole mandolin thing for me
way back when. May his beard grow ever longer.

[banjoboy]

Sam Bush's break on Big Sciota.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Seamus - A huge % of Irish folks in Manchester. My wife's ancestry is all Irish. My local folk club plays predominantly Irish music,with 'English' tunes thrown in for good measure. Of course,being up in Lancashire,there's a good deal of Lancashire dialect songs in the mix as well - all good fun !.

It's a pity that we can't post MP3's on here. I have a mandolin piece by Robin Bullock - ''Sean In The Mist / The Trip To Swannanoa'' that'd scramble your ears !,
Ivan
PS - Here's a link to it. Unfortunately i don't think it will work for the folks in the USA. Left click on the title > select 'Listen' > & you can download it to your PC if you wish - it's 'legal' :-

http://mp3-red.cc/4733273/robin-bullock-sean-in-the-mist-the-trip-to-swannanoa.html

[Seamus B]

Hey thanks Ivan! Yes, the Irish diaspora to the NW of England was fundamental - especially Manchester and Liverpool. Some of our most famous music and bands from that region have Irish heritage even if they do not play ITM. Also, lots of Irish emigrants went to Birmingham - my parents decided to move to London where I grew up in a mainly Irish community, so spent many evenings drinking coke and eating crisps in the corners of pubs listening to a mix of traditional Irish songs and not a small amount of Rebel songs as well.

Thanks for the link! Lovely song that uses that thing I don't know the name of when the song hits a minor chord and pauses slightly. I'm sure there is a name for it.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Seamus - I'm glad that the link worked for you. As you might have gathered its a (day i say it ???) Russian website. However,i've scanned the link with a few Anti-virus scanners & it's been fine. There's a whole lifetime's music of almost every genre on there. I've managed to find & to download many long forgotten songs from the post WWII period. A search for Bill Monroe MP3's comes up with page after page of them,
Ivan