Calace, Apollon, Jethro, Monroe.
(I’ve never seen the real Mt Rushmore, but I always thought it was kinda creepy. Which made it perfect in North by Northwest.)
Joe B
Calace, Apollon, Jethro, Monroe.
(I’ve never seen the real Mt Rushmore, but I always thought it was kinda creepy. Which made it perfect in North by Northwest.)
Joe B
Are we doing players, makers, or both?
The four presidents on Mt. Rushmore were chosen very deliberately. They are certainly not the only “good” presidents. Each represents a milestone in American history. Washington, the Father of our Country, was a no brainer. Jefferson was chosen because he represents the expansion of America (Louisiana Purchase). Lincoln was chosen because he represents the healing of America during and after our greatest crisis and Theodore Roosevelt represents modern America (first president of the 20th century).
As we think about this interesting mental exercise, we should consider the history of the mandolin and its performance. Not just making a list of our four favorite players. Thinking about it like that, there’s no way our Mount Rushmore should just have 4 bluegrass artists, as important as that genre is.so here are some questions for consideration, using the real Mt. Rushmore as a pattern:
Who was the Father of the Mandolin?
Who was responsible for the greatest expansion of mandolin playing?
Who was responsible for ushering the mandolin into the modern age?
I left out the crisis because I’m not aware of any crisis in the mandolin world analogous to the Civil War!
Does thinking about it in this way change anybody’s choices?
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
My personal mandolin inspirations are Thile, Grisman, Statman, and Zanes. Thile's hands/technique, Grisman's vision, Statman's soul, and Dan Zanes as feet of clay and a reminder you needn't be a technical marvel to make music that makes people happy.
Jamie
PS, I would have a living historian guide as Jethro Burns at the monument cracking wise and corny.
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
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The whole Vinaccia clan (some musicologists believe that the modern steel-string mandolins were developed in Naples by the Vinaccia family) deserves this accolade, but I vote for Pasquale.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasquale_Vinaccia
"In 1835 he improved the mandolin, creating a version of the instrument that used steel wires for strings, known today as the "Neapolitan Mandolin."[3][4][2] His use of steel strings has become the dominant way of stringing mandolins."
...And also because he initiated the national parks/national monument system, of which Mt. Rushmore is an example. I've often thought TR the "junior partner" of the four -- not that he wasn't an important president, but I'd hardly rank him with Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Were we selecting presidents now, I'd surely put FDR ahead of his cousin -- but that's me...
I still think we need to decide whether our "Mando-Rushmore" should recognize only mandolin players, or should include designers, builders, inventors who contributed to the instrument's design and development. No one now has ever heard Calace, Gibson, or Loar play a note, so how do you rate them vs. Monroe, Burns, Apollon etc.?
Allen Hopkins
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Dicey question. Washington and Jefferson were architects of the new republic, and Lincoln was a founder of the post-bellum union. So by that logic, Orville Gibson and maybe Lloyd Loar should be included. But players like Bill Monroe and Jethro Burns were pivotal in the history of the instrument and are quite worthy of inclusion (IMHO). So I guess this is my way of saying those would be my choices.
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As always, the best part of these threads is getting names of mandolinists that you’ve overlooked.
Pete Braccio
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My first list seemed to me to be the important milestone players. Not necessarily my favourites, and not necessarily the best. But I did look at influence and importance. Of course these are your players that lead to modern bluegrass and new grass.
The classical players might think, hmmm. No, Appolon, avital, Lichtenberg and Thile. The jazzers might think burns, gamble stienberg and moore.
Of course there’s blues players, yank, young, Cooder Del Grosso
It’s why I like it as an idea.
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Ok, the with the reasoning behind the real Mt. Rushmore choices, how about this?
Pasquale Vinaccia, the Father of the steel string mandolin
Lloyd Loar, the father of the modern mandolin
Bill Monroe, for popularizing the mandolin in our country and around the world
Chris Thile, for transcending genres and bringing mandolin playing into the modern age.
2 players, two makers/ designers? What say you? I followed the pattern of the real Mt. Rushmore. Except I didn’t pick Thile because we’re friends!
Don
2016 Weber Custom Bitterroot F
2011 Weber Bitterroot A
1974 Martin Style A
Monroe, Burns, Grisman, Thile
2018 Big Muddy Mandolin M11
Who cares Rogue 100a or something
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----------------------------------
"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
----------------------------------
HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
To include people having a big influence on the mandolin world I'd nominate Scott Tichenor who enables us to have such discussions!
Pava S/N 21
Calace Bowlback
Monroe, Grisman, Wakefield, Statman
Vinaccia - Loar - Apollon - Monroe...
If Monroe was up there, everybody would wait for his headstock scroll to tumble down the mountainside, taking a few tourists with it.
the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world
As a musician I would never want to associated with anyone who rushes more.
Jim
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Good question. I'll weigh in with: Jethro, Apollon, Grisman, Monroe. But there needs to be a classical mandolinist like Simon Mayer or someone I don't know about because I don't follow that genre
Ostroushko, Heikki Lahti, Ale Moller, Grisman.
As one can tell, I don't play or really listen to bluegrass.
If all American, Ostroushko, Burns, Rachell, Grisman.
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