Celtic Connections

[Dagger Gordon]

Have been flipping through the CC programme.
Not an awful lot of mando.

Andy Irvine is appearing with Mozaik; Shooglenifty are on; Anna Massie (who mostly does fiddle and guitar) is worth seeing, and the English duo Show of Hands.
Doesn't seem that much really. We need to do something to raise the mandolin's profile a bit.

I myself hope to be on with Fergie MacDonald on the last weekend, mostly playing banjo. Incidentally, I'm recording a 'Take the floor' broadcast with Fergie on the 15th Dec, goes out New Year's day.

[mancmando]

In my experience the mandolin is not really featured that much in celtic music, which is a great shame.... (this is not to say that it is not featured at all, and that there aren't great players out there).

I think that this is partly to do with the fact that it is not that traditional as an instrument in celtic music (compared to say bluegrass), which also means that there are not as many people out there teaching and encouraging more people to play.

Having said that I think that because the instrument sounds so nice, and is great for playing celtic stuff that its use will increase http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif. It is also unusual that it can be used to play chords and accompany other instruments. Many celtic instruments are only suited to playing tunes.

I also like the fact that the mandolin is a little obscure. There are so many good fiddle players that there is nothing special about playing the fiddle, and you have to be a really good fiddle player to get noticed.....

[glauber]

I also like the fact that the mandolin is a little obscure. There are so many good fiddle players that there is nothing special about playing the fiddle, and you have to be a really good fiddle player to get noticed.....
On the other hand, really bad banjo players get noticed all the time!

[trebleclef528]

Quote:
Have been flipping through the CC programme.
Not an awful lot of mando.
We need to do something to raise the mandolin's profile a bit.

We (Lanarkshire Guitar and Mandolin Association) are trying hard David....it would be nice to see more mandolin performers at CC. But at least the instrument still has a fairly high profile...we are running 3 workshops at CC and they are always a sell out...we will have a stall for 2 weekends to promote the mandolin and I think, Fylde, Moon and Kia Tonjes will be displaying their mandolines (Tonjes are superb).............In general we have visited 4000 primary school kids to show them the delights of the mandolin....have 70 people a week learning in Lanarkshire and are working on a Scottish mandolin Festival for 2006.

All the best to all the mando fans
Ian
secretary..lanarkshire Guitare and mandolin association (scotland)

[Dagger Gordon]

Ian,

You are quite right in what you say and I should have acknowledged what you guys do. I was really referring to the main concert programme.

It is true that in the stalls around the foyer the mandolin has a strong presence. I was there on the last Sunday of last year and Jimmy Moon had a lot of mandolins on display. I played quite a few of them.

And yet... Despite there being all these mandolins around, there don't seem to be many mandolins in bands, either up-and-coming or well-established. When there are, it's often a secondary instrument for a guitarist or fiddler rather than their main thing (Shooglenifty definitely being an exception).

Hopefully the good work you are doing will change that. Coming from the Highlands I confess to not being very familiar with what you are doing in schools in your part of the world, but 4000 kids is a lot. Well done.

Feis Rois have been doing good work in taking trad music into schools up here. I do a weekly guitar class for them, but the main thing is the fiddle. A couple of the fiddlers have bought Buchanan mandolins, but they are still concentrating on fiddle primarily.

Didn't we meet in Buchanan's workshop once? I think I sent you a CD. If you are having a Scottish mandolin festival in 2006 I will certainly be there.

Cheers,

Dagger.

[danb]

There's a general issue.. volume! Most mandolins aren't audible in a big session, or even a small one most of the time. Generally, because it's hard to build your chops in a session (because nobody can hear you, so you won't take a majority of the leads..), the mando won't come out of the "Woodshed" and onto the stage as much as will the fiddle, pipes, and the tenor banjo.

But hey, pick up a reso or a nice loud F5. Trust me here folks http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

As far as laying the "Traditional" card on the table, mandolins join the party in the '00s-'20s really.. about the same time or before the guitar and tenor banjo. I've gotten to the point where I roll my eyes if people say the mandolin isn't traditional, realisitically that leaves harp, pipes, and (maybe) fiddle alone on the list. "Traditional" is usually an attempt to control something that has a life of it's own really.

Sessions with folks arguing over what's traditional or not leave me cold, clammy, and jumping for the door. Sessions where the players encourage whoever shows up to do their thing, and naturally find a balance of what to play given the people present are the good ones, no matter what you end up playing in the end http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

But hey Dagger, let's get together with Kevin and put together something for next year then, eh?

[Dagger Gordon]

I know what you're saying Dan, but when I think about it there perhaps were more mandolins in bands when I was getting into it years ago than today.

For example, acoustic bands like the Dubliners (Barney certainly , but do I not vaguely remember mandolin duets with John Sheahan?), Planxty of course, The Boys of the Lough (Dave was a big influence on me), The Corries, plus heaps of lesser known performers like the Gaberlunzie and the Laggan.

The electric bands like Fairport could come up with quite a lot of mandolin playing ( wasn't there a set called Flatback Caper with both Thompson and Swarbrick on mandos?), and even rock bands like Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin would produce mandolins in their folkier moments.

Sessions are perhaps more common and bigger nowadays so your theory about volume and woodshedding might be more true now than before.
On the other hand - PA systems, microphones and pick-ups are certainly better than in the 70's so once a mandolin does make it to the big stage (and this topic is about Celtic Connections concerts) it should have a pretty good chance of holding its own.

As regards what instruments are 'traditional', you can play it on the kitchen sink for all I care. I don't worry about that kind of thing at all. In the old days people joined in with whatever they had.

As regards a get-together, I would say it's long overdue. What are we going to do about it? Celtic Connections? I'll probably be there the last weekend with Fergie, and maybe earlier as well.

If not, let's organise something for the spring.

Happy New Year,

Dagger.

[Martin Jonas]

The electric bands like Fairport could come up with quite a lot of mandolin playing ( wasn't there a set called Flatback Caper with both Thompson and Swarbrick on mandos?), and even rock bands like Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin would produce mandolins in their folkier moments.
Pegg and Swarbrick, actually -- Thompson was on guitar and Nicol on bass for that tune. Thompson did, however, record several all-mando trios with Swarbrick and Pegg on Swarbrick's "Smiddyburn" and "Flittin'" albums in 1981. Fairport were always a fairly mandolin-heavy band in the Swarbrick days, and are again so now with Chris Leslie on his Ozark F5.

Martin

[Bren]

Happy New year all!

[QUOTE]For example, acoustic bands like the Dubliners (Barney certainly , but do I not vaguely remember mandolin duets with John Sheahan?

On "Croppy Boy" and "Boolavogue" if I remember rightly.

I confess I played mandolin onstage at Celtic Connections "Open Stage" a couple of years ago but it was backing Lorri Jackson, a wonderful bluegrass/old timey singer/songwriter, so the "Celtic" connection was a bit stretched. It was only the second proper gig I'd played for about 20 years, and I wasn't exactly "gig hardened" with my set-up. The soundmen worked miracles though, despite grumbling about the weak output from my mando pickup (McIntyre feather - I've since got a pre-amp). It seems to me with modern pickups, pre-amps and DI boxes and PA systems, not to mention sound engineers, a mandolin can hold its own with any lead melody instrument.

I would've liked to stick around at CC and maybe meet some other musicians but we had to rush off and get the train back to Aberdeen as some of us had gigs that night.
I noticed a few mandolin makers peddling their wares in the lobby, Buchanan and Fylde I think among others.
I'd like to go down for a look this year but think I will be out of the country on a work trip at the time.

I propose Aberdeen or somewhere nearby for the 2006 mandolin festival!

[danb]

Dagger, you've got an open invitation if you're ever coming to or passing through London, though I get the idea it'll be more likely if I'm up your way. There's an off-chance I'll be up that way in the spring, but I'll keep you posted long in advance if it's coming true.

As far as bands with mando..

Dervish (mandola every cut nearly, mandolin on several)
Touchstone (they're playing again, you know!)
Josephine Marsh group (Declan Corey)
Kevin & Alec !
Roger Landes pulls his mandolin out on occasion with Randal Bayes

Alas! Open House is no More!

[Dagger Gordon]

Dan,

You probably think I'm a real teuchter who rarely budges from his Highland fastness, but in the last year I've been in America, Italy, France (briefly) and Spain so I do sometimes get around.

I might be in London with one of the kids before too long, but I'll stay with my aunt in Richmond and will be mostly doing family/London stuff rather than mando nights I should think. Still ... We'll see.
I get so much Celtic music up here that I tend to look for other things when I'm away, especially if I've got the family, but if I'm South I'll certainly get in touch and we'll get together someplace.

Regarding your own movements up this way, are you planning the Shetland or Orkney Festivals this year?

We'll keep in touch on all that and see what happens.

cheers.

[danb]

At the risk of turning this into a private conversation.. Richmond hosts my favorite session, wherein there are 2 all-ireland Tenor Banjo players in frequent residence, both of whom play the mandolin! Takes me an hour and 10 to get there, but it's worth it.

To keep this from getting too much like email, open invitation to anyone on the cafe to drop me a P/M if you're passing through London. I'll tell you how to get to the session and meet you there for a pint and some music if I'm around.

And Dagger, if there's anything I can do in my power to get a mandolin on your lap in London, I'll do it. The lead-off track on your CD is my #1 most played cut, according to the iPod.

[Dagger Gordon]

Cheers,

Sounds unmissable actually.

If anyone is in the North of Scotland please let me know, and I'd be glad to hook up for a pint and a tune.

Last year the late Bill Stanley and his wife Anne came over and I gave him some suggestions, but I had to go to the States for a funeral and didn't actually meet them. He wrote me an e-mail saying what all he had done in the Highlands, which sounded great.

I'm always pleased if people come over and they manage to hear some music and have a good time.

Incidentally Dan, do you now live in London? I thought you were in Norfolk.