Marty Stuart playin' what looks like a Loar

[SternART]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45t_HurmLVg&search=mandolin

[Tom C]

I think he's had that for a while. Why do I think he has 2?
Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlaxatives

[Eric F.]

Thanks for posting the link, Arthur. Marty Stuart played what I thought was a Loar when I saw him at the Ryman in fall '04. He tore that thing up!

[JimRichter]

Now, I could be wrong, but isn't that his old Gibson Copy (made by Kirk?--can't recall the name correctly right now). It looks like the one with all the autographs carved in it.

Regardless, that goes to show why Marty really is one of my favorite mandolinists. He's got a slinkiness in his playing that really is electric guitar like (and considering his chops as a guitarist, that's stating the obvious). He really is one of the "hot" mandolinists overlooked today by guys just getting into mandolin (though 30 years ago that was a much different matter).

Jim

[MDW]

I was just reading where Evan Marshall cites Marty's mandolin playing while with Lester Flatt as being a big influence for him. What are some good recordings to listen to Marty's mandolin - either as frontman or sideman? Evan mentioned "Lester Flatt - Live in 1974" but I couldn't find that particular recording. Does the new Superlatives at the Ryman recoridng have a lot of mandolin?

[AlanN]

There's on old record called Live Bluegrass Festival, maybe the one you cite above. Lester says "Now Marty, Bill Monroe is in the audience, play Rawhide and play it right!" Marty burns it up, does stuff on it that Monroe never dreamed of.

His early Ridge Runner record has some mando on it (not enough), and his Busy Bee Cafe also has some.

I don't think the 'Marty Party' stuff has too much at all.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Marty owned 75947, a '24 Loar. I believe he has since sold it. The mandolin came out of Knoxville TN. a few years back. I was on the trail of it for years but could never turn it up. It was sold new by Miles Music Store, and I had old photos of someone holding it and knew it was around somewhere. It surfaced and he bought it.

[Kirk Albrecht]

Boy, does he ever tear it up on that tune! I have known he was a good player for some time, but never heard that speed and definition like that song! Whoa! Great sense of feel and timing, too.

Why aren't more guys playing like that?

[pickinNgrinnin]

Neat song - great pickin!

[celtic_knut]

Wow -- great tune. Are there any of his CD's on which he primarilly plays mandolin?

[Moose]

"Why aren't more guys playing like that?" - ans.: they can't cut it! - http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[JimRichter]

Boy, does he ever tear it up on that tune! #I have known he was a good player for some time, but never heard that speed and definition like that song! #Whoa! #Great sense of feel and timing, too.

Why aren't more guys playing like that?
There really don't seem to be a lot of guys playing like Marty. I think Bobby Osborne was one.

A couple of other readily available video samples of Marty's mandolin picking are on the Bill Monroe tribute 2 DVD set. Marty plain tears it up through Rawhide (and truly gives Ronnie McCoury a run for his money. Compton--as well as Skaggs--was on that same show with Hartford and would have loved to see the four of them tear it up). But in my opinion the best on there of Marty's picking is on Rabbit in a Log. Gawddamn, that's fine stuff.

Also, there is the Gaither Family Bluegrass Homecoming stuff which has some fine picking of Marty's on there, along with Skaggs, McCoury, and Doyle Lawson. Sad thing is, again Compton there's (with NBB), but he's not brought out there for the big Rawhide jam. Always makes me wonder what the deal was.

Jim

[sgarrity]

I just got Marty's newest cd "Live at the Ryman." #It's full of mandolin playing and of course, he flat tears it up! Isn't that mandolin made by Marion Kirk?

[SternART]

Marty can really pick da mandolin, I was impressed when I saw this video!

[tree]

Marty must have a dandy instrument collection. #Doesn't he own Clarence White's tele? #Man, to be able to pick like that! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[celtic_knut]

Marty also did a nice job with the soundtrack to All the Pretty Horses, and laced it with a fair bit of mellow Tex-Mex-esque mandolin work. Has he done anything like that with one of his studio releases, or was that sort of unique to this soundtrack?

[JimRichter]

Marion Kirk. That's who I was thinking of. Got the last name but not the first. If the one on the video is the one all carved up with signatures--which I'm sure it is--I believe that's the copy that Kirk built.

Jim

[SurebetVA]

I personally liked this album although Marty is pretty young on it.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0000665CF.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[JimRichter]

I was told that although many of us thought that Marty's mandolin is a Marion Kirk made mando, it is actually a Chris Warner mandolin. This apparently can be verified by Marty and Roland White.

Here's a link to a little bio about Chris:

Campbell Music (http://www.campbellsmusic.com/documents/29.html)

Jim

[AlanN]

Not sure where this recording is from, but I have part of a Nashville Grass show - Lester, Seck, Marty, Ingram, Tater Tate. They do Cripple Creek, slow then fast. Marty takes a blistering solo, that's one I **tried** to learn back then. They then do Till The End of the World Rolls Round with Marty on mandolin. Then, he switches to guitar for a few numbers. Must have been 1978 or so.

[GTison]

And I think , back in the 70's he played a Clawson mandolin.

[f5loar]

Didn't MK Kirk do the work for Chris Warner back then?
I know Kirk learned his craft from Randy Wood early on and then got up with Rural Yarborough and Chris Warner down in AL. I've always called the mandolin of Marty's with all the carved in autographs a Kirk. Not many Kirks out there.
Frank Greathouse of the New Deal String Band still has his early 70's Kirk F5.

[jasona]

This is great stuff! Any more Marty Stuart suggestions for us newbies?

[red7flag]

I met Chris Warner at the Gettyburg Bluegrass festival a lot of years ago. What a nice guys and man can he pick a banjo (I know a 5 letter word). He was very personable. You can also hear him on that Stelling (five letter word) CD. There are some great earlier Jimmy Martin albums with him tearing it up.
Tony

[barry]

"Not many Kirks out there.
Frank Greathouse of the New Deal String Band still has his early 70's Kirk F5."


To add another Kirk player to the list....Sandy Rothman, who's Loar was for sale for some time, also owns a Kirk mandolin. #That's the instrument he used for all of the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band gigs. #He did not purchase the Loar until after the Garcia Acoustic Band had ended. #Loar was for sale but he still has the Kirk.

[jim simpson]

"I was told that although many of us thought that Marty's mandolin is a Marion Kirk made mando, it is actually a Chris Warner mandolin. This apparently can be verified by Marty and Roland White."

Here's a pic of a Chris Warner Gibson copy that I used to own. It was early 70's.

Jim

[jim simpson]

This is a CMH release from 92 called Marty Stewart "Once Upon A Time". It is actually Marty with Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass (live stuff).

[jim simpson]

Here's a pic from the cd insert:

[Mike Bunting]

I believe that the band pic was the cover for the vinyl LP that I have somewhere. Marty is one of the best.