Sharon gilchrist

[skyblue]

I recently received a Peter Rowan Trio show from 7/22/07
and it has Sharon Gilchrist on mando, Peter Rowan on guitar
and Catherine Popper on bass. I am very appreciative of the
playing of Sharon Gilchrist and I feel that she has not received much recognition for her tasty playing. She plays a Gilchrist mandolin but she is not related. The Peter Rowan-Tony Rice Quartet album on Rounder has some very good
picking. Sharon shines even in the shadows of the legends,
Tony Rice and Peter Rowan.

[MDW]

I think you're right. Sharon is very talented on mandolin and sings nice harmony too. I saw her with the Rice-Rowan quartet recently and she really held her own - providing very tasty solos that complemented Tony's intricate solos nicely.

[Scotti Adams]

..shes a looker too.

[MandoSquirrel]

Yeah, you can see her lookin' in that pic! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Question is, what's she lookin' AT? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Narayan Kersak]

It looks like her eyes are closed.

[Scotti Adams]

..gawd..cant you see it..shes lookin at me..Im in the first row... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[fredfrank]

Of course she is, Scotti. I recognize the "is that Scotti Adams?" look on her face.

[Tim]

Or is it the "Which mandolin is he selling this month?" look. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Scotti Adams]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[woodwizard]

Sharon is a FOX! Got to see them this year in Bartlett TN. They are so good. Really enjoyed that show. Even got to visit with all of them a little after the show. They are all so friendly. You would think that super stars like that might be a little snobby... Nope NOT them. Here's a pic I took during the show.

[skyblue]

Sharon Gilchrist sometimes plays in a trio configuration with Peter Rowan and most recently Catherine Popper on the bass. The Trio allows Sharon to really shine on mando with her Gilchrist mando which sounds great. Of course she is also enjoyable to look at.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[DryBones]

they don't make superstar money so they don't act like superstars http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[skyblue]

i thought everyone might notice sharon's mando http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[SternART]

That IS a pretty rare decorated Gil. I saw it up close at the
Mandolin Symposium a coupla years back.

[KNP String Band Mando]

Skyblue,
When they play in the trio it is usaully because TOny cant make it. He has recently hurt his back, and could not come to some shows. The trio is still really great tho, sharon is still a good picker, and contantly gettin better

[Fretbear]

A Gilchrist playing a Gilchrist that doesn't say "Gilchrist" on it....it's like reverse electrical tape.
Is she from the States?

[John Flynn]

Is she from the States?

Texas

[james condino]

Tony Rice could pick any mandolin player in the world to play with and he's had Sharon by his side for several years now. No need to say anything more about her playing skills.

j.
www.condino.com

[skyblue]

The Peter Rowan Trio has had several different line-ups recently. Cindy Cashdollar and Catherine Popper have joined
Peter on dobro and bass respectively. The download that I was referring to from 7/22/07 has Sharon Gilchrist and Catherine Popper joining Peter. They are joined for a few songs by David Nelson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Peter Rowan and Tony Rice have been playing together off and on since 1999 or so in different configurations. Peter has played mando also. I like his mando style its more of a Monroe-style. Peter played all the mando on his album by the name: "Bluegrass Boy"....Sharon just has some very tasty mando playing....and in the trio format she is able to stretch out more and extend her solos.

[Lefty&French]

I thought Peter plays more mandola than mandolin. Am I wrong?

[Wesley]

Lefty - I'm guessing it depends on what other musicians are available. The time I saw him live with Tony Rice and both of the Brights he played mandola almost all night. He only did a few songs on guitar.

[skyblue]

Billy Bright is a very good mando player too. He played in what was called the Texas Trio with Peter Rowan, Bryn Bright on bass and Billy Bright on mando. He played during the Reggaebilly phase and I've heard some pretty hot shows of the Crucial Reggae with the same players and Billy does some pretty hot mando and I'm not sure if Peter is playing
mandola on those shows since I'm only listening to downloads of the shows from like 2001. Some very tasty music from the islands......By the way Billy Bright plays in the Too High String Band and they have a nice website where you can listen to some great samples.

[Dagger Gordon]

Just got the Quartet album. Great stuff.

I'm very impressed with Bryn's backing vocals which I think add a lot. Is anyone else doing that now she's departed?

[skyblue]

I think Catherine Popper has been playing bass.

[Dagger Gordon]

So I gather, but I was actually meaning Bryn's singing which I think is really good. I've seen her singing on the 'Bluegrass Journey' DVD.

I see from MDW's post near the beginning that Sharon sings nice harmony, so that answers my question.

[skyblue]

I think that Sharon and Catherine both sing harmony vocals.
I have not seen the Peter Rowan Trio live but the concert that I refer to in my initial entry sounds like there are two voices singing in harmony....

Bryn is a fine harmony singer and I have a show from 2001
at Magnolia fest when Peter Rowan is doing his Crucial Reggae show and Bryn and her husband Billy both play and Bryn's bass playing and her harmony singing are superb.

[MandoPirate]

I saw Peter with Sharon in Jamaica and she was as magnificent on the mandolin as she was beautiful in the scenic Ilse .... ( much respect shes awesome) .... she is among the people who inspired me to start to learn to play ... ....im still working on that http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Truckadero]

Skyblue,
Is the show you referred to available somewhere for download? Archive.org?

[hellindc]

I went to a show while visiting Winston-Salem a few months ago. I misunderstood the time and got there early -- as the band was doing a sound check -- all except Tony Rice. Peter check his guitar. You can see that Rice is not doing well these days, but he still picks the hell out of that thing.

Anyway, about a half hour before the show, a couple I would estimate to be around 65 sat next to me. We chatted, and the man asked me what kind of music we were going to here. I thought the question odd. Who would come to such a concert without knowing the music?

Turned out it was Catherine Popper's parents. She was doing only her second gig with the band. You could see the other members, especially Gilchrist helping her out along the way -- though she did great, and even took a bass solo.

I got to make small talk briefly with each band member, except Tony. They were all very laid back and nice people. And the concert is all you can hope for.

[Bob Asher]

I GOT TO SEE ROWAN AT BEANBLOSSOM ABOUT 3 YRS AGO I THINK, AND HIS ENTIRE BAND WAS ALL LADIES. CINDI CASHDOLLAR WAS WITH HIM THEN ON DOBRO. SHE WAS ON STEEL GUITAR WITH ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL FOR AWHILE, BUT NOT SURE NOW.

WHEN GOING TO ROWAN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MAY HEAR, BUT YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT!

[staggarlee]

I understand now Sharon has left the Rice & Rowan Quartet. What a bummer as I'll be seeing them this weekend at Watermelon Park Fest in Berryville,VA.

[Joe M]

I saw Peter Rowan this past Labor Day at Thomas Point Beach, ME
Mike Bub on Bass, Rich Stillman on Banjo, Ricky Simpkins on Mando and Peter Rowan. The billing was to include Tony Rice; I was dissapointed.

[Fred G]

So who is she playing with?

[Mike Bunting]

I believe she's with Uncle Earl. Uncle Earl members, past and present (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/farawayhills/uncle_earl.html#present)

[JEStanek]

I don't think Sharon's back with Uncle Earl. #She played with them before she joined Peter Rowan's group.

Her mySpace (http://www.myspace.com/sharongilchrist) page was last visited by her last week and has info on her working just in NM area with the Santa Fe All-Stars.

Jamie

[ivey21]

Here is a vid of Sharon playin' at the Road to Riches festival in Ramah, NM. My band, The Saltine Ramblers, was fortunate enough to play backup for her on a few tunes (thats me on fiddle). She kindly showed us the effectiveness of "diamonds and potatos" in bluegarss song arrangements. Very classy lady and a pleasure to work with. Sorry the sound recording quality is so poor!youtube.com (http://youtube.com/watch?v=g6r_l65fZXo)

[DryBones]

She kindly showed us the effectiveness of "diamonds and potatos" in bluegarss song arrangements.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif what? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[ivey21]

Potatos are song intros, like you may hear before Red Haired Boy or Whiskey Before Breakfast. Diamonds, used by the rhythm section, are strategically placed chord soundings just on the one beat, usually at the beginning of a song building up to all beats. These techniques help shake up a song and make it more interesting.

[David M.]

...taters... as fiddlers call 'em.

ie: one tater, two tater...

[JEStanek]

I thought it had to do with a beautiful mandolin player mixed up with a bunch of dudes... Thanks for the clarification. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Jamie

[MDW]

Nice feature article on Sharon in the October 2007 issue of Bluegrass Now. Turns out she's leaving Peter & Tony to go back to Santa Fe.

[skyblue]

Sharon Gilchrist is playing around Santa Fe with the Santa Fe All-Stars...She is also teaching mandolin at a local music store and at the College of Santa Fe.

Thanks for the youtube videos...she is one the my favorite mando players. She has such tasty licks and she doesn't seem to be obsessed with speed. Hope to hear some solo efforts from Sharon....

[skyblue]

There is a nice article on Sharon Gilchrist in the October 2007 issue of "Bluegrass Now" magazine. You can access it online at bluegrassnow.com.......