View Full Version : Barry Mitterhoff with Jorma - Hesitation Blues
terzinator
Aug-25-2009, 10:00am
Great vid of Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady and Barry Mitterhoff at Minnesota Public Radio studios doing Hesitation Blues. Mitterhoff's mando solo is at 2:00.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aQtq-BnK6c
Jason Kessler
Aug-25-2009, 11:15am
Very nice.
Jorma's in great voice too. He can sound raspy. Wish they'd turn up Jack.
Dave Hicks
Aug-25-2009, 12:01pm
Thanks for the link - I've been thinking about transferring that tune from guitar to mando, so that was helpful.
D.H.
Wesley
Aug-25-2009, 12:25pm
I could listen to that stuff all day long. Thanks. What does Mitterhoff play - it wasn't a Brentrup was it?
Dan Hoover
Aug-25-2009, 12:49pm
that was very cool..great song
terzinator
Aug-25-2009, 1:53pm
As well as I can see the headstock, it kind of looks like it says Brentrup. But I'm not an expert... yet.
Very nice, thanks for posting that. Barry fits right in, even hear a Jethro lick or 2...and he chops!
To me, look like it says Buckeye.
Ivan Kelsall
Aug-26-2009, 2:05am
Incredible player!. I saw & met him in the UK many years back when he was playing with the Lynn Morris Band & he used a capo.It was the first time i'd ever seen a Mandolin player use one (not that i'd seen many Mandolin players over here at that time). His record 'Silk City',which i have on LP,is still one of the best Mandolin recordings i have - by anyone !,
Ivan
I could listen to that stuff all day long. Thanks. What does Mitterhoff play - it wasn't a Brentrup was it?
That would be a Buckeye. Very nice sounding mandolin!
terzinator
Aug-26-2009, 8:14am
very similar logos!
http://www.thehartbrothers.com/buckeye_Files/mando_Headstock.jpg
http://www.brentrup.com/gallery/content/bin/images/large/22_O_p_h.jpg
Mandomax
Aug-26-2009, 9:19am
confirmed with Barry it's a buckeye. Apparently, their production manager's father is Pete Hart, the buckeye luthier. Killer sounding axe- I'll get to see him pick it this Friday in Tampa.
TonyP
Aug-26-2009, 12:12pm
Thanks for that. I've kinda lost track of Barry since the old Silk City/Skyline days. Saw Skyline back in the 80's here in a little mt. town Odd Fellows Hall, and it was an astounding show. There's a lot of unsung hero's of the mandolin and Barry Mitterhoff is another that seems to stay under the radar. I guess it's because he doesn't stick with one genre. The guy can truly play anything with anybody.
I don't ever use a capo, but if I was Lynn Morris' mando player as a hired gun/short notice, I would. She made the band play in so many odd key's because she said she had a limited vocal range. Ab, Gb, Eb, stuff like that, wow.....
Dave Greenspoon
Aug-26-2009, 4:33pm
If you can, catch Barry picking with Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys. It's some downhome Jewgrass at its mamishe finest.
Here's a link to the band bios:
http://klezmermountainboys.com/who-we-are.php?page=whoweare
James P
Aug-26-2009, 5:51pm
Beautiful tone and solo.
But does anyone else hear the tempo "breathing" quite a bit? I'm not talking about the doubletime section either.
Jim Garber
Aug-26-2009, 6:55pm
Interesting... that is the first time I have ever seen barruy play anything but his F5... I suppose touring so much made it probably insane to bring that ultra-valuable instrument. The Buckeye sure sounds sweet but he could make a brick sound sweet.
Larry S Sherman
Aug-26-2009, 6:58pm
Here's another from the same session:
UnlOfzRyZuU
Larry
Ivan Kelsall
Aug-27-2009, 12:38am
Larry - Many thanks for the clip,i can feel a Guitar pickin' day comin' on !!. Who are the Band members ? (apart from Barry of course),
Ivan
David M.
Aug-27-2009, 8:13am
3 of my favorite musicians right there. Barry's really great.
See top post in this thread for who's who.
Wesley
Aug-27-2009, 10:20am
It looks like my trio wants to work up that last song after I passed it along to them. It sounds like it might be a Rev Gary Davis tune. Anyone know for sure? Killer stuff. I love it. Thanks.
terzinator
Aug-27-2009, 10:22am
Yep, Rev Gary D.
We jam on Hesitation Blues all the time, but certainly don't do it this kind of justice. (I haven't yet attempted it on mando. Strictly guitar for me on that one.)
SternART
Aug-27-2009, 10:59am
Who are the Band members ? (apart from Barry of course), Ivan
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were the main instrumentalists in San Francisco's Jefferson Airplane.........and their acoustic blues side band Hot Tuna, recorded separately and also played electric. This is the latest version of Hot Tuna. Sam Bush played mandolin on Jorma's solo CD a few years ago, and when it came time to tour the CD, Sam has his own band so Barry got the mandolin seat & has held it since. Hot Tuna has always been a favorite of mine, adding mandolin only makes it better! Barry really fits in........and has only improved in the past few years!!! Great stuff! Live sometimes he gets chorus after chorus over that organic flowing rhythm that Kaukonen and Casady supply. Those two fellas have been playing together since the early 60's.
Barry Platnick
Aug-27-2009, 11:29am
I been seeing Tuna since the seventies. Jorma was skinny and Jack played a blue V. They have been tearing it up ever since. Their acoustic live album was always one of my favorites and now that Barry has joined (and I've started playing mandolin) they are reborn for me.
Seen 'em here in denver a couple of times and it was incredible both acoustic and electric. Bary is wild on the electrics. Hope they keep it coming.
Thanks for the links
Miked
Aug-27-2009, 11:59am
For those who are not familiar with the Fur Peace Ranch archives from WOUB (http://woubmedia1.tcom.ohiou.edu/Live%20from%20Jorma%20Kaukonen%27s%20Fur%20Peace%2 0Ranch/), there's one show in there with Barry.
Great stuff!:mandosmiley:
It's so nice to see this thread recognizing one of my personal and professional heroes! Barry is a truly great musician who can as has already been pointed out, play anything you put in front of him with impeccable tone, taste and timing and - just when you think he can't possibly get any better at his craft than where he is - he somehow mystically manages to up his game and take things to even higher levels! As great a musician as he is though - he's an even better person! I go back with him to somewhere around 1976 and count him among my dearest friends ... He really is a gift and source of inspiration to anyone who aspires to be the best they can be. For anyone checking this thread out who isn't familiar with his work - DO make the effort and check him out - you won't be disappointed!
<ps that Buckeye is one heck of a mandolin too!!!>
AlanN
Aug-27-2009, 12:36pm
I recorded with Barry once. I walked into the NYC west side studio and there was Barry, Tony Trischka and Vassar Clements, with pipe in mouth! Boy, was I scared!
The banjo man whose recording it was asked me play on one cut. Before we did the takes, Barry sat down with me in a corner and asked me to show him what I had come up with. I played my solo, he listened, and in a minute or 2 came up with a perfect note-for-note, dead-on harmony line. This is what made it to the final mix.
He made me feel right at home, gave appropriate atta-boys and pointers and was just a sweet guy who made me feel at ease.
terzinator
Aug-27-2009, 12:50pm
For those who are not familiar with the Fur Peace Ranch archives from WOUB (http://woubmedia1.tcom.ohiou.edu/Live%20from%20Jorma%20Kaukonen%27s%20Fur%20Peace%2 0Ranch/), there's one show in there with Barry.
Great stuff!:mandosmiley:
Oh, man, you're not kidding! This is awesome! Thanks! :popcorn:
terzinator
Aug-27-2009, 1:04pm
OK. BH might just be my new favorite mandolinist. Perhaps because his playing sounds almost approachable by a novice player like myself. Not dizzy fast, not insanely complicated.
(I love listening to Chris Thile, Sam Bush and Ronny McCoury, but they're on another freaking planet.)
Although, I suppose it could be that he's just keeping things in check and more laid back to complement Jorma and Jack's breezy style. It'd be fun to hear Barry doing some bluegrass stuff.
Oh, man, you're not kidding! This is awesome! Thanks! :popcorn:
You're welcome. IKYR just kicks!
I would really like to do the FPR thing in November with Barry. It's a lot of money to drop for a weekend, but what an experience! Anyone planning on the November class?
terzinator
Aug-27-2009, 11:02pm
I just noticed I used "BH" as Barry Mitterhoff's initials above, which is obviously not correct. But I supposedly can't edit a post after it's been live for three hours. So if people from around the world start referring to him as Barry Hittermoff, you'll know why.
I love IKYR. (Big GD fan here, so it's always fun to hear others' versions of tunes the Dead do. I was out of the office when the tune started, so I was tempted to rewind and see if they went into it from China Cat Sunflower. :) )
Ivan Kelsall
Aug-28-2009, 1:55am
Apologies - i did put it rather badly - i meant which is Jorma & which is Jack. However, a quick Google sorted that out. Back to the '' learn how to put your questions correctly'' school for me,
Ivan:redface:
I just noticed I used "BH" as Barry Mitterhoff's initials above, which is obviously not correct. But I supposedly can't edit a post after it's been live for three hours. So if people from around the world start referring to him as Barry Hittermoff, you'll know why.
or you can refer to Barry as Pete Rowan did in the Greengrass Gringoes days:
"And here we have Barry Mandolin on the Mitterhoff" :mandosmiley: