• Acoustic Disc Launches New Web Presence

    Acoustic Disc Launches New Web Presence

    PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. — David Grisman's Acoustic Disc has announced the launch of their new web site at https://acousticdisc.com/.

    The site has many new features plus the complete catalog of physical CDs and digital download releases, all available at reduced prices. There’s also a free gift for visitors, whether you make a purchase or not.

    To celebrate the launch, available now for the first time is the new digital Deluxe Hi-Definition Edition of one of their most popular releases — Jerry Garcia and David Grisman's Shady Grove which includes four previously unreleased tracks.

    Other items available for the first time include an assortment of art posters of musical portraits by Tracy Bigelow Grisman and the Dawg Leash, an innovative strap for scroll model mandolins used by David Grisman.

    Acoustic Disc previously announced their discontinuation of physical CD sales. For those interested in that format, some stock continues to remain while supplies last. Once gone they will not be replaced in CD format.

    Additional Information


    Jerry Garcia and David Grisma - Shady Grove
    Comments 12 Comments
    1. Stop's Avatar
      Stop -
      Excellent site to order from., quick and low cost.

      Can anyone tell us if they (Acoustic Disc) are releasing any' Pizza Tapes' on vinyl LPs? I have emailed but no response. Tkx
    1. Glassweb's Avatar
      Glassweb -
      Fantastic new site... congratulations David! The amazing photos and even more amazing discography are alone worth the price of admission... which, of course, is free!

      Of course there are plenty of great things for mandolinists and music lovers to purchase here as well. Like everything David has ever done, this website is impressive... woof!
    1. Paul Statman's Avatar
      Paul Statman -
      Congratulations, David! The Dawg Legacy continues. Loving the look of this new site. Glad to finally see the "Dawg Leash" get to market, too. I remember well your talking about it even by that name back then, in 1989. You were using a modified saxophone strap at that time (March 17th at The Fillmore DGQ + NGR).
      Thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do, and of course thank you for the uniquely Dawg calendar!
    1. ulohdan's Avatar
      ulohdan -
      Wow this website looks great. One thing though.... I scanned through the artist list and was amused to find ONLY MEN represented......not one single non-male artist is on this label apparently. I wish our mandolin heroes cared about equity a bit more
    1. Dawg's Avatar
      Dawg -
      Thank you all for the positive feedback. To address some questions that have been brought up — we’re in the process of licensing several of our projects for vinyl release, including The Pizza Tapes.

      Also, female artists aren’t entirely absent from our catalog. Yolanda Aranda, an incredible Mexican-American singer is the artist on Intimo, a beautiful recording of Latin Canciones, accompanied by her husband Enrique Coria on guitar, still available on CD. In addition, Maria Muldaur (vocals) and Ruth Davies (bass) are featured prominently on Vassar Clements' last recording, Living With The Blues. Bryn Bright (Davies) is the bassist on Old & in the Gray, the late Sue Draheim plays great old-time fiddle on John Cohen’s Stories The Crow Told Me, Kaila Flexer and Third Ear contribute to Rudy Cipolla’s Portrait of an American Original, and my wife Tracy sings “Omie Wise” on Muddy Roads by the DGBX. Songs of Our Fathers and Not For Kids Only also include female musicians and the incredible Eva Scow can be heard playing mandolin on Tone Poets. And lets not forget Bessie Lee Mauldin who plays bass on Bill Monroe Live at Mechanics Hall, which also includes two songs sung by Bill’s daughter, Melissa.

      Additionally, Laurie Lewis produced and performed on Charles Sawtelle’s Music From Rancho de Ville. Woman have also designed our CDs and Tracy Grisman has created quite a few of our cover images in water color, oils and pen & ink. Harriet Rose ran our business office for 30 years and also played bass on Life of Sorrow.

      And finally — thanks to all the female artists who have hired this mandolin picker through the years, too numerous to name, but I couldn’t have gotten here without them!
    1. Bill McCall's Avatar
      Bill McCall -
      It’s a wonderful site with otherwise unobtainable musical treasures.

      And even nicer now
    1. ulohdan's Avatar
      ulohdan -
      Quote Originally Posted by Dawg View Post
      Thank you all for the positive feedback. To address some questions that have been brought up — we’re in the process of licensing several of our projects for vinyl release, including The Pizza Tapes.

      Also, female artists aren’t entirely absent from our catalog. Yolanda Aranda, an incredible Mexican-American singer is the artist on Intimo, a beautiful recording of Latin Canciones, accompanied by her husband Enrique Coria on guitar, still available on CD. In addition, Maria Muldaur (vocals) and Ruth Davies (bass) are featured prominently on Vassar Clements' last recording, Living With The Blues. Bryn Bright (Davies) is the bassist on Old & in the Gray, the late Sue Draheim plays great old-time fiddle on John Cohen’s Stories The Crow Told Me, Kaila Flexer and Third Ear contribute to Rudy Cipolla’s Portrait of an American Original, and my wife Tracy sings “Omie Wise” on Muddy Roads by the DGBX. Songs of Our Fathers and Not For Kids Only also include female musicians and the incredible Eva Scow can be heard playing mandolin on Tone Poets. And lets not forget Bessie Lee Mauldin who plays bass on Bill Monroe Live at Mechanics Hall, which also includes two songs sung by Bill’s daughter, Melissa.

      Additionally, Laurie Lewis produced and performed on Charles Sawtelle’s Music From Rancho de Ville. Woman have also designed our CDs and Tracy Grisman has created quite a few of our cover images in water color, oils and pen & ink. Harriet Rose ran our business office for 30 years and also played bass on Life of Sorrow.

      And finally — thanks to all the female artists who have hired this mandolin picker through the years, too numerous to name, but I couldn’t have gotten here without them!
      Hi Dawg,

      Thanks for replying to my concern that Acoustic Disc does not showcase female artists. I have always held your label in very high regard--a thoughtfully curated selection of the best in acoustic music. I think all mandolin players can point to you as someone who consistently challenges us to open our minds and explore other musical styles and other countries.

      Which is why it's so puzzling that you don't have any female artists featured on the "Our Artist" section of your website. Surely, in your search for the best talents of our musical world, you have encountered a non-male musician who would be worthy of a release on Acoustic Disc. Pretty much every other music label, like Rounder or Sugar Hill for example, prominently feature female artists. In our digital age, David Benedict has done an excellent job in showcasing talents of non-male mandolin players on Mandolin Mondays.

      Your reply that "women aren't entirely absent" is accurate, but also not very inspiring. Our communities and musicians have always been diverse. I would love to see Acoustic Disc put some weight behind the truth that not only men can play the mandolin.
    1. Isaac Revard's Avatar
      Isaac Revard -
      Dawg, I’ve got your wife’s art proudly hanging in my studio—bought at a show in Portland a while back—signed by you of course. Your encouragement of the female artist, in whatever form, is obvious if anyone actually listens to your music—ie the song written by your wife, who you proudly speak of in Frank and dawg... thanks for what you do and have done for the Mando, women and music.
    1. Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
      Mandolin Cafe -
      Comparing Acoustic Disc to a Rounder or Sugar Hill is comparing apples to oranges. The latter are massive business entities with scores of titles that exist for the purpose of profiting from the work of musicians and bands by signing them to contracts, assisting and often directing their promotional activities and a lot of other unsavory requirements you don't have trouble finding artists complaining of.

      Acoustic Disc is mostly a label of one and was created because David didn't want to be any part of being signed to a contract and told how many albums he had to sell, didn't want to be owned and told what to do by such entities. He's on many of the "Artist" recordings and yet Acoustic Disc has no one signed to a contract. It's also largely a repository and creative outlet for artists he personally admired that weren't represented and often not well known prior to him releasing their recordings. Jacob do Bandolim, Rudy Cipolla, Oscar Alemán to name a few, or as I've heard him say, the music of lots of old dead people whose music he admired. Many of the rest are musicians that have passed through his bands or people he's known since the 60s that he has toured with on occasion.

      So while Acoustic Disc may look like some big time label some might want to adhere to their predefined paradigm, it really isn't, and thus, I think some of the observations made here are seriously misguided.
    1. Jozef's Avatar
      Jozef -
      Congratulations on your new website launch!

      And some anonymous contributors (ulohdan) should rather practice the mandolin than provoke.
    1. ulohdan's Avatar
      ulohdan -
      Quote Originally Posted by Jozef View Post
      Congratulations on your new website launch!

      And some anonymous contributors (ulohdan) should rather practice the mandolin than provoke.
      Hi Jozef,

      The mandolin world means a great deal to me. I've been proud to have had a few years where I paid my rent and taxes with my mandolin playing, and that wouldn't have been possible if there weren't a vibrant acoustic music community. If there weren't people eager to attend shows and buy CDS and all those things. Mandolin Cafe and David Grisman have played a huge role in creating that world for me to enjoy, so I'm extremely grateful to them.

      I also feel strongly that equity should be addressed openly. This often makes people uncomfortable or provoked as you say, but I think we can all agree that important conversations can be difficult and uncomfortable.

      Here are some uncomfortable questions:
      Is it okay to run a music store where you only sell one type of music? I personally could stay inside a bluegrass shop all day and if it weren't for Dawg, I'd still be there.

      Is it okay to run a music store where only men sell their music? No. It's 2021 and it's not acceptable to only feature releases from men. I honestly don't think anyone on this thread is debating this point.

      Here's a better question:
      Can Acoustic Disc fix this oversight? Absolutely! I'm sure there's plenty of good music that Dawg either has recorded or could easily arrange that would solve this issue. For example, I'm a huge fan of the Hazel Dickens and I love Grisman's playing on Who's That Knocking. I wonder if there aren't any late-night jams that could be mixed and released.....

      It's a big problem, but also an easy solution.


      I got to get back to practicing, but thanks for reading.
      Daniel Ullom
    1. vanv5600's Avatar
      vanv5600 -
      Quote Originally Posted by ulohdan View Post
      Wow this website looks great. One thing though.... I scanned through the artist list and was amused to find ONLY MEN represented......not one single non-male artist is on this label apparently. I wish our mandolin heroes cared about equity a bit more
      Th