Just take a look at this discography:
http://www.deaddisc.com/GDFD_David_Grisman.htm
Just take a look at this discography:
http://www.deaddisc.com/GDFD_David_Grisman.htm
He might be spoken of in hushed tones as "that guy who played the great mandolin on Don Stover's Things in Life record."
Somewhere there may be an alternative universe where Mr. Grisman never wrote, and Django didn't lose his fingers, and Earl never played banjo. But it ain't this one.
Grisman equates, in my mind, as an equivalent to violinist Itzhak Perlman, in that he makes it a point to cross genre lines, experiment with other musicians and musical styles, has total mastery of his instrument, and stands out as one of the top players in his field.
He has done more to promote his instrument to audiences outside the bluegrass genre than any mandolinist of his era.
What's not to love?
To me the Dawg is equal in stature to the likes of Bob Wills and Bill Monroe. He is a virtuoso on his instrument, played and recorded with amazing musicians, great composer, and created a genre of music that will be revered and played by future musicians through the ages.
When I was first gifted a cheapo taterbug in the early/mid 80's and had no clue what it was, how to properly tune it, what kind of music I could make with it, it was the Dawg that was my biggest influence. I bought, The Rounder Album, then Home is Where the Heart Is, and that was my intro to mandolin and Bluegrass (outside if the Beverly Hill Billies theme). I knew who Mr. Grisman was before I knew who Bill Monroe was (all due respect). So from this mandolinists perspective, he was my biggest and earliest influence. I bought my first Kentucky KM1000 because he endorsed the KM-Dawg, but the 1000 was what I could afford at the time. (I've since acquired one of the 48 KM-Dawgs made just because.) I love all his other stuff (and own most of it), but he will always by my first BG influence.
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2012 Gibson F5 Master Model
2019 Northfield F5 Artist 5 Bar
2019 Northfield Arched Octave Maple
2020 Northfield F5 4.0
He was most definitely the first mandolin player I was ever blown away by. Shady Grove and Garcia/Grisman were hugely influential when I was getting into acoustic music. It took a lot longer for me to get into his original work. But stuff like this with Del always does it for me.
Mitch Russell
I have no shame and can say i am here today because of the pizza tapes and oh brother. I graduated highschool in 2000 those two albums never happend. I would probably played nu metal or been a dj
I see David Grisman in the same light I see Miles Davis... they are both untouchable as musicians, composers, innovators and mentors.
David has changed the world of mandolin forever... simply put, amazing!
Still available, by the way (on CD or by download, nowadays.)
https://www.homespun.com/shop/produc...ches-mandolin/
I can't say for sure which all time mandolin solo I like the best but the group I would chose from is probably all Grisman solos.
He's the BB King of mandolin when it comes to saying more with less. There is no equal. IMO
I was seventeen or so when I first heard the Grisman/Grappelli live album. Hearing those two swing changed the way I looked at mandolin and fiddle forever.
"Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo
Eric Clapton said something along the lines of, about hearing Robert Johnson, that he had to delay listening to Johnson for a long time, because he wasn't ready. That was me and Grisman. A friend turned me on to him before I started on mandolin. I thought he was good, but didn't 'get' it. Found Sam bush, and had an anchor - moved to everyone else (Sam's still no. 1). But I worked to Grisman through his duo album with sam, then the Garcia ones, then the DGQ...
He's an exceptional mandolin player, adn I think he'd be just as glorified without his extra talents.
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