Larry Rice

[re simmers]

I've been listening to my Larry Rice stuff this past week. Fantastic underrated mandolin picker. I'm on a "Larry Rice kick." The stuff with JD, R, R, Pederson & Hillman, Tony's stuff....all great, but I really like his solo projects, more "signature Larry Rice" to me.

I met Larry at Gettysburg about 15 years ago with Wyatt and Santa Cruz, which was Wyatt, Larry, Scott vestal and John Cowan at that particular show. Larry announced that the 4 members of Sanata Cruz was a desparate throw-together group at the last minute. They played on the workshop stage on Thursday night (there were no Thurs. shows on the main stage back then) and were phenomonal. It was cold and windy and probably only 25 people watching, but they put on a great show. Larry did a Friday mandolin workshop, which was last minute because of a no-show. Someone asked him if he made his living playing music. Larry laughed and said, "no, I like to eat. So I work for the power company in FL." He seemed like such a nice guy, with a lot of talent. At the end of the workshop he invited everyone to bring up their instruments and jam with him until his next show. I hadn't been playing long and didn't have the nerve. I regret that.

Anyone here ever pick with Larry?

From my google search I think have everything except his last, Clouds Over Carolina and his first, Mr. Poverty (?), which I wasn't aware of. I'll get his last one anywhere, but is Mr. Poverty issued on cd anywhere?

What a great contribution to mandolin music!

Bob

[300win]

No, I never did get to pick with him, but always thought as you do he was underated. I do recall reading a long time ago an interview he gave in which he stated that John Duffy influenced his mandolin playing more than any other player.

[Tom Mullen]

I played with Larry on a number of occaisions in So Calif when he was there in 1968-69. We would gather over at Don Parmley's house and pick until someone had to go work. Bobby Sloan would join us and a young Randy Graham would show up anytime "bluegrass jam" was mentioned. Larry and I also played in Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party, a So Cal pseudo bluegrass band.

Here is a pic from an on-stage jam in 1968 or so.
Bobby Sloan is playing fiddle, Larry on mandolin, Don Parmley banjo and a young David (Butch) Parmley standing by. I am thumpin the dog house. Check out the pants and the hat on old Tom!

[Fiddler3]

"Clouds over Carolina" is a great CD. Just listened to it the other day. Larry had a way of making a song his own. I'm beginning to think I enjoy his singing over Tony's. Check Music Shed for the other but I hadn't seen it listed.

[Fretbear]

Larry was great; his solos are inventive and fun, and also pretty easy to pick up, which is a great combination.

[mandocrucian]

1982 "Duck Music" recording sesssion, Crystal River, FL (L-R); Ronnie Rice (electric bass), Niles Hokkanen (mandolin), Erik Hokkanen (fiddle), Larry Rice (mandolin), Wyatt Rice (guitar).

[AlanN]

Cool photo. Wyatt (Tom Hanks?) looks to be about 16.

[re simmers]

Great picture. Niles, didn't you transcribe some of Larry's breaks?

Bob

[Tom Mullen]

That does look like Tom Hanks playing guitar.

[DataNick]

Thread Bump: +1 to what Bob said in his opening post about Larry Rice's playing and music. I've been getting into Clouds Over Carolina and also the 2 tracks on the Cafe, "Burnt Rice" and "Tobasco"...really cool stuff, I love his playing and that re-worked 1959 Gibson F5 of his sounds great! A true gem of a player that a lot of folks know nothing about!

[AlanN]

Here he is learning some licks...

He had his own place in the music, a member of a seminal JD Crowe band (some say those harmonies - JD, Doyle, Larry - were among the best), an early mandolin stylist and a singer/songwriter type. His 4 or 5 solo records were unique - folky, with some grass and hot picking. Some of his songwriting was a bit uneven, but overall, good stuff. And he wrote some strong mandolin tunes, like Spring Fever, from Time Machine. Tony's Rounder album from 1976 features Larry on several tunes. His solo on Stoney Creek is great, he does some nifty things on the bridge.

In the photo here, Dawg is holding Larry's F-5.

[Timbofood]

Nice to see this get a bump, I really love his work! I just got "Artesia" last summer and its still in the player on the car!

[Willie Poole]

J.D. sure holds that mandolin nice....didn`t know he played one...

[Bernie Daniel]

Thread Bump: +1 to what Bob said in his opening post about Larry Rice's playing and music. I've been getting into Clouds Over Carolina and also the 2 tracks on the Cafe, "Burnt Rice" and "Tobasco"...really cool stuff, I love his playing and that re-worked 1959 Gibson F5 of his sounds great! A true gem of a player that a lot of folks know nothing about!

I have a physician friend (who is also hobby builder of arch top guitars) who was playing football for U of Ky back in the days when the JD Crow and the New South were playing nightly at the Holiday Inn in Lexington He and some of his buddies were regulars at the Inn and came to soaked up all the bluegrass music they could. Larry Rice was their favorites in the band and they were really upset when he left to be replaced by some guy named Ricky Skaggs. I guess they eventually warmed up to RS but my friend still marvels at what great performer Larry was.

[Billgrass]

I worked out his break on On and On from Tony plays Bill Monroe. Wonderful feel to it, while also fitting in the genre. The triplet lick over the C chord is really fun and followed by a syncopated descending G run that's worth adding to your toolbox. I'd encourage any of my fellow intermediates to look at his breaks for ideas and inspiration!

[fentonjames]

my familiarity with larry is on the rice, rice, hillman, pederson albums. where else should i look?

[AlanN]

He played mandolin on about 1/2 the tunes on brother Tony's 1976 Rounder release. The one mentioned above is good (The Bill Monroe Collection).

He released 3 or 4 albums as leader on the Rounder label, those have lots of good material, like this one

[fentonjames]

i should check the liner notes on tony's discs.

[fentonjames]

oh, and of course there's larry's work on this, which i'm familiar with. if ya haven't heard this jam, it's AWESOME. funny banter between songs too, like clarence asking what that white stuff under his nose is.

[Spencer]

my familiarity with larry is on the rice, rice, hillman, pederson albums. where else should i look?

There are 7 recordings listed on Amazon, search under Larry Rice digital music. (Another Larry W. Rice turns up, but it's clear who's whom) I have several of them, and enjoy them a lot. For starters, I can recommend Clouds over Carolina and the album with Wyatt.

He was one of my favorite players, and way too underrated.

Spencer

[AlanN]

He also gets some nice licks in on brother Tony's California Autumn album, 1975 on Rebel Records.