Women with Mandolins

[JEStanek]

Hopefully, nobody.

Jamie

[JEStanek]

JB, I was by that Camping Stage just two days ago... It was empty

Jamie

[journeybear]

I know what you mean. It's a looong time between fests. Sometimes it feels like nearly a whole year!

[JEStanek]

My son on Main Stage and the stage in late fall. I like visiting during the year.



Jamie

[journeybear]

Nice. My first year - 1985 - I was just hanging out on the hill Thursday afternoon while they were tweaking the sound, and just said over the mike they could use someone to play a guitar or something to help fine tune the system. I ran down there fast as my little feet could carry me. So somewhere in the archives (probably not) is a sound check performance from yrs trly. Otherwise, with the PJB in 2001.

[Ben Milne]

The loverly Katzenjammer at Woodford 2010/11
such nice gals.

[Ed Goist]

Saw this on Sarah Jarosz's Facebook page and had to post it here...
She definitely has earned a Ph.D in Mandolin!

[journeybear]

Thanks to Ms Loretta - Marla Fibish of Three Mile Stone. As her bio goes:

"Marla Fibish (mandolin, mandola, button accordion and voice) has been a part of the San Francisco Irish Music scene for nearly 30 years.

"She is known primarily as a mandolin player, for the drive and lift in her playing. She is also known as a singer, and a crafter of the odd song, and uses the mandola as her axe for accompanying her singing. Everyone is entitled to a mid-life crisis, and for Marla that was a new love in her life — the button accordion. A true San Franciscan, she went for the press-draw style — C#/D for you accordion geeks that care about such things."

Odd how in all but one the mandolin is partially obscured. Kind of a tease, that. One pic might be the start of a whole new thread - Women With Mandolin Cases. Or not.

[JeffD]

I love pictures of a band that look like they are waiting for a bus. Seriously, there is all this potential adventure that is only hinted at.

[journeybear]

It is indeed fairly common to pose for publicity stills as if in some sort of adventure or otherwise be telling a story besides that they are musicians. No idea how/when/why this got started, but some of the results sure are fun to see.

[Ed Goist]

Olga Egorova performing on her Morris F5 (#111)





And the entire performance:

[Charles E.]

[Larry S Sherman]

Olga Egorova performing on her Morris F5 (#111)

Wow! Does she take lessons from Radim? She's a ball of fire!

Larry

[Ed Goist]

Wow! ...She's a ball of fire!
Larry

Hi Larry. I know, right?!
Here are a couple more videos of her. They're a little more laid-back but equally impressive.
My favorite part of these performances is probably the second selection in the duet video (it starts at about 2:10 in). The Morris can't help but reveal her Bluegrass roots with some nice 'chop action'...Great stuff all around!

[strings777]

"Olga Egorova performing on her Morris F5 (#111)"
Wow, I was worn out just from watching her! She certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of energy!

[Dan Hoover]

Olga Egorova..zoink's! thank's for posting these Ed..

[John Hill]

What's really awesome is the 2nd vid...2 ladies in Russia start playing (really well I might add) a Brazilian choro on at least 1 mandolin made in Oregon.

[journeybear]

Ah! What a wonderful world we live in!

Musically, I'll take the first one. After a minute or so of prologue, when she hits second and third gears, then overdrive - hang onto your hat!

[journeybear]

Just appeared on Jimmy Kimmel - The JaneDear Girls. A country-rock duo consisting of Susie Brown on fiddle and mandolin, and Danelle Leverett on guitar and banjo. I don't know if they're going to be the next big thing, but it was a nice surprise to see a mandolin on the tube.

[Ed Goist]

...The JaneDear Girls...nice surprise to see a mandolin on the tube.

Thanks JB - Good catch. Lots of fun stuff from them on the YouTube. Here's a short, endearing, impromptu "jam":



Man, I bet the Warner Brothers' A&R guys just love these girls!

[journeybear]

Ya think? You've got - let me see if I get all them dichotomies - one is blonde, the other brunette, one has a natural look, the other a dolled-up Bettye Page look; one likes the girly look with flouncy dresses, the other the tomboy look with jeans and shirts - well, that's a good start, anyway. Plus they can both sing, and apparently play pretty well, from what little I've heard. They may not change the world, but they might have a pretty good run.

[fatt-dad]

getting back go Olga - WOW!

f-d

[billkilpatrick]

don't know if this has been posted before ... but it's nice to look at in any case:

(hmmm ... must read instructions first ...)

[billkilpatrick]

try again:

(yay!)

"woman with mandolin" - mary cassett (1844-1926)

[brunello97]

Very nice, Bill, thanks. I am surprised I had not seen this before. Here is another from Mary Cassatt dated 1868. The two paintings give an interesting look at the design of mandolins from that era. Renoir has a painting of a 'woman with mandolin' as well but his painting style includes less detail of the instrument.

Mick