Acoustic blues mandolin

[Hugh Jape]

Howdy everyone, I have a two questions for yall

A) i was curious if anyone knew of any great acoustic mandolin blues albums? I need something to listen to and have been really into the blues so any suggestions are appreciated. The only mandolin blues album that i do own is Mandolin Blues featuring Yank, Johnny Young, Carl Martin, and Willie Hatcher.

B) Also, while i am at it, I am currently learning to play the blues mandolin using Steve James "Learn to Play Blues Mandolin" so far it has been great!! anyone know of any other "how to play blues mandolin" resources?

Thanks in advance!

[LKN2MYIS]

I love blues mandolin.

Do a 'YouTube' search for Jim Richter and look at some of the incredible stuff he does. Mind boggling.

[Woody Turner]

Mandolin Blues, by Rich Del Grosso (Hal Leonard, publisher) - book with CD. Some folks consider Rich the greatest living blues player of mandolin.

[Hugh Jape]

Ive seen Jim Richter's stuff, does he have an album out?

[LKN2MYIS]

Go to his website.

http://jimrichter.com/

He has a link to buy stuff. He's incredible.

[Hugh Jape]

thats cool, would be nice if he had a blues mandolin dvd with tabs. the only ones i can find is the steve james series and the mandolin blues by delgrosso. this makes it tough for a beginner, like me, to get into it whenever you have 1,000 bluegrass instructions and only a handful for the blues. hopefully some day soon someone will capitalize on it for guys like me!

[LKN2MYIS]

I'd buy that stuff in a minute. Seems to be a market.

Jim Richter - are you listening?

[Hugh Jape]

Hint! Hint!!

[Tom Gibson]

There are a lot of acoustic blues resources for guitar, which are helpful for their explanation of acoustic blues and the different chord progressions, etc. I'd recommend looking at those as well as the Del Grosso book.

[mandolirius]

If you can find anything by The Original Sloth Band, out of Toronto, there's some good blues mando on those albums. There were two of them. I think they're out of print now but I'm not sure about CD reissues.

[Hugh Jape]

Just got Carl Martin - Crow Jane Blues.. very cool!

[mrmando]

Rich Del Grosso: Get Your Nose Outa My Bizness. Great acoustic blues mando.

[Doug Hoople]

Look for anything by Howard "Louie Blooie" Armstrong. A great player and interesting character. The stories he told with that mandolin of his...

[JimRichter]

Still looking to have my solo CD out this year. Probably in the late fall. Half of it will be blues material--the other half will be helter skelter. Just too much stuff bottled up for a long time to do a straight blues album.

Gordon and I are still working out the specifics on a blues album. We hope to have it worked out in the next 6 months. Big issue has been finding time to get together outside of gigs due to family commitments.

As far as a blues DVD, I would love to do one. I think I have a good 60 to 90 minute instructional video in me. The problem is time and, primarily, cost.

In addition to self-producing/editing my performance DVD with Gordon, I was involved in the videotaping/editing/mastering for a VHS and DVD instructional video for Phil Beaver. Phil is a great quilter known for his fabric painting. Here he is profiled on HGTV:

http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/painting-fabric/index.html

To do 1/2 video took a lot of time. I was paid modestly for it. I think several thousand of the tapes have been sold at conventions, workshops, etc.

I'm not sure how many people are truly interested in an instructional video from me--a semi-pro musician with only a regional track record. A CD is one thing, but an instructional DVD is another. I'd also like to see the video and DVD mastering done right (something more than my iMac isight) and I'd be looking at probably a 100 hours of time.

If people would be interested in a bare bones DVD on the quick, I might consider that. Or, if Happy Traum or John Lawless are listening, they can give me a ring.

Also, Rich's album really isn't acoustic blues. Most of it is amplified (especially since he's playing with a band).

[mandocrucian]

YouTube: Niles Hokkanen circa 1991 "Honkytonk Blues/Summertime Blues" solo mandolin

If you dig the video, the versions on the On Fire & Ready! CD have a full band (including Phil Wiggins on harp).



Some blues instructional articles in Mandocrucian's Digest isses. #9 has a Howard Armstrong interview. (see catalog link below)

Niles H

[Hugh Jape]

Awesome news Jim about the solo cd, i will definately get that! I understand about the funds. Time is money.

[lmartnla]

I am happy to read all the nice comments about Jim Richter whose interesting sites I have been visiting since I discovered him here on the cafe. He certainly deserves support and I would like to have any mandolin CD or DVD he would make. He has a really nice touch especially on the blues but also much more. I have been playing some of the things he has posted and shown us via his videos. I believe he is the real stuff and highly recommend a visit, a listen, and a holler. Go JIm!---Lou

[LKN2MYIS]

Jim -

I, for one, would be interested!

[phoenix]

My favorite blues mando cuts are The Celebrated Walkin' Blues on the Taj Mahal cd with Ry Cooder on mando and Give It To Me on the Walk In The Sun cd by Sue Foley.

[a12]

go to:
http://www.answers.com/topic/yank-rachel

You'll find the real deal.

[LKN2MYIS]

Still looking to have my solo CD out this year. Probably in the late fall. Half of it will be blues material--the other half will be helter skelter. Just too much stuff bottled up for a long time to do a straight blues album.

Gordon and I are still working out the specifics on a blues album. We hope to have it worked out in the next 6 months. Big issue has been finding time to get together outside of gigs due to family commitments.

As far as a blues DVD, I would love to do one. I think I have a good 60 to 90 minute instructional video in me. The problem is time and, primarily, cost.

In addition to self-producing/editing my performance DVD with Gordon, I was involved in the videotaping/editing/mastering for a VHS and DVD instructional video for Phil Beaver. Phil is a great quilter known for his fabric painting. Here he is profiled on HGTV:

http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/painting-fabric/index.html

To do 1/2 video took a lot of time. I was paid modestly for it. I think several thousand of the tapes have been sold at conventions, workshops, etc.

I'm not sure how many people are truly interested in an instructional video from me--a semi-pro musician with only a regional track record. A CD is one thing, but an instructional DVD is another. I'd also like to see the video and DVD mastering done right (something more than my iMac isight) and I'd be looking at probably a 100 hours of time.

If people would be interested in a bare bones DVD on the quick, I might consider that. Or, if Happy Traum or John Lawless are listening, they can give me a ring.

Also, Rich's album really isn't acoustic blues. Most of it is amplified (especially since he's playing with a band).

Jim -

I understand how timely and costly a DVD would be. But how about a tab book and instructional CD set?

Might be more managable, and I think you'd find an audience here for it.

Just an idea, but I'd jump at it. And I'm sure others would as well.

AND - "semi-pro" doesn't mean you're not talented enought to do it.

John

[ald]

Jim, we are all waiting with baited breath

[mando.player]

I just found out that "Live from Bluesville" (Rich DelGrosso teams with Australian guitarist Fiona Boyes and bassist Mookie Brill) is available on iTunes. It appears to be an unplugged set. I'll be getting this one, the clips sound great.

In the past I've shunned away from getting music through iTunes. I love getting CDs, reading the liner notes, ripping them at a high bit rate into iTunes and putting them on the shelf. Lately though, the convenience factor has really hit me. The music I want isn't at Borders or any other local outlet. This leaves me the option of or ordering something and waiting OR getting it right away. Suffice it to say, I'm not a patient man...LOL

[Hugh Jape]

mp3s at Amazon.com are usually cheaper and you can play them anywhere unlike iTunes where you can only play it on a certian computer and ipod.

[ald]

"mp3s at Amazon.com are usually cheaper and you can play them anywhere unlike iTunes where you can only play it on a certian computer and ipod".

That's not true, is it? I downloaded the tunes and transferred them to CD to play on any player in the house. Works fine. Best of all I can buy credits from the local supermarket via a code system rather than having to use a credit card.