What the

[OneChordTrick]

As Mr Thile sang “one man’s music is another man’s noise”.

[Charlieshafer]

In another mandolin/string band fusion world, Joe Brent and 9 Horses, which features the Grammy nominated Sara Caswell, wrote the score for this piece he composed. After the first them was laid out, his score for Sara simply says, "Do Eric Dolphy-esque stuff." Interestingly enough, I get more requests from our regular series subscribers to have them 9 Horses return than more traditional sounding groups.

[Dave Martin]

Good stuff. Really, really, good stuff.

[AlanN]

To pick nits, Ivan: it's the David Grisman Quintet record. And interesting you juxtapose Bibey and Dawg in your thread. Both terrific players. I had the good fortune of jamming on Janice with Alan last summer at his mandolin camp - btw, his 2018 camp will feature Emory Lester, this will be a thrill. I learned the tune from DG Homespun book (and my ears) and have jammed on it for literally (gulp) decades. I showed it to AB, he got it in 10 minutes (of course). Great fun to play that tune. And the Dawg tunes are not that hard, once you get the hang of them.

I also dug the CT/JL performance, straight away.

[Torpedotom]

I didn't read this whole thread and please forgive my beginnerism, but what kind of mando was CT playing? Looked like it had an angel or dove on the headstock.

[Mandobar]

In anything, business, music, art, etc. if you are not taking a chance and "stretching", things are going to get boring. People thought Picasso and Pollock were crazy. It didn't stop them, and I sure hope it doesn't stop these guys (it won't, believe me). John Cage, Patti Smith (people used to yell at her when she was singing to get off the stage) all these folks had their nay-sayers. To each his own. Not your thing? vote with your feet.

Personally, I love these guys. It's refreshing to hear something new, and to listen to the musical interaction.

[MediumMando5722]

I have not read all the comments, but I remember first hearing Chris Thile a few years ago. I watched his genre hopping video, then "Why Only One?" with Edgar Meyer. Then about 10 more hours of CT content without blinking. I was convinced the guy was an alien, and he immediately became my favorite musician.

Then, a short time later, I discovered Julian Lage, and though, "Dear lord... there's another..."

If I was running things, Julian would make a duet album with all of my favorite musicians, starting with CT.

[Willie Poole]

I bet they couldn`t play it a second time note for note...Any takers?

[Denny Gies]

Ivan nailed it.

[CES]

It’s cool watching the piano player just watching like a fan, purely enjoying it

[Caleb]

Hell, if you can't enjoy the music, at least enjoy the fact that they were having a lot of fun playing it.

[colorado_al]

I bet they couldn`t play it a second time note for note...Any takers?

Again, I don't understand why that is a criteria for improvisation? The whole idea behind improvisation is that one plays a spontaneous composition of one's own, extemporaneously. If it was designed to be repeated note for note, it would no longer be improvisation.

[Stevo75]

I bet they couldn`t play it a second time note for note...Any takers?

Why would they?

[Stevo75]

I read most of this thread before watching the video. I was thinking this was going to be totally out there. Some really avant garde jazz stuff. It's not even that out there. Sure it's not bluegrass, and it's not OT where the same melody is repeated over and over and over again, but no one said it was bluegrass and it doesn't have to be just because it's being played on the mandolin. I've seem some way more out there stuff than this that doesn't even fall under avant garde jazz (Medeski Martin and Wood, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd).

Thanks Dem for posting this. I thought it was amazing!

[lenf12]

I bet they couldn`t play it a second time note for note...Any takers?

How could you tell? And would it really matter? CT and JL and the whole band played brilliantly imho. The violin and drum solos were as creatively executed as CTs and JLs.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Timbofood]

Why is repetition note for note such a big goal for some folks? I’ve told the story about a former girlfriend (artist) who said “What I do is there for me to critique, love or, hate. What you(me) do is gone in an instant and can never really be duplicated!”
I play a few tunes very similarly every time but, the nature if music is exactly what she said, it is fleeting, love it or hate it and then it’s gone. Moving along.

[THart]

If I was running things, Julian would make a duet album with all of my favorite musicians, starting with CT.

That would be great (an album with Thile). Check out Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge's several recordings. I got to see them perform together last year and it was very much like that performance with Thile on the radio there. Chris Eldridge is one fantastic singer too. They did a number of more traditional tunes but even then they stretched things out in wonderful & unexpected ways. As much fun to watch as it is to listen to. That's why I was so happy to see this video. When I heard it on the radio I immediately wished I could see it too. I love it when music & performance take me to places I'd never imagined.

[mandowilli]

I loved it!

And a drummer that can play from charts. I can only dream.....

[CarlM]

I bet they couldn`t play it a second time note for note...Any takers?

David Holt said that Doc Watson "never played the same thing once" also. Maybe that is where Chris learned it.

[greg_tsam]

Great interplay and it’s fun to watch. Better to be there. Best if you’re part of it.

I jam mostly bluegrass andlove to improvise leads. Occasionally I have the chance to play swing, Dawg, gypsy. I loosely stick to the melody then explore. While this often annoys the “genre guardians”, it’s unintentional. I have fun.

This guys are having fun too. And they’re awesome.

[Mandoplumb]

David Holt said that Doc Watson "never played the same thing once" also. Maybe that is where Chris learned it.

Right neither did Don Reno but they could play a tune any number of times that you would recognize. Bet that if they could approach the same tune, melody, or whatever they are basing it on a dozen times you wouldn’t recognize that they were playing the same number. Shouldn’t music have some boundaries? Isn’t there such a thing as fundamentals? Theory?

[Br1ck]

The great ones are always pushing their musical boundaries. I imagine the classical purists hate Yo Yo Ma's forays into other musical worlds, and Coltrane pushed the boundaries of Jazz at the time. Thelonius Monk twisted convention into his own mind blowing unique brand. These higher plane musicians left many of their admirers wondering what the heck were they doing. They forgo the commercial in a quest for the new. Bravo.

[THart]

The original Julian Lage Group recorded version.

[Steve Ostrander]

I thought it was totally awesome. I wish I had 1% of CT's improvisational skills.

[JEStanek]

I didn't read this whole thread and please forgive my beginnerism, but what kind of mando was CT playing? Looked like it had an angel or dove on the headstock.

Chris is playing a Loar signed Gibson F5 mandolin. There were only a couple hundred of these made. Lloyd Loar is considered the genius engineer who took Orville Gibson's design and improved on it to make the F5 mandolin. Originally, it was made for mandolin orchestras, it was Bill Monroe buying one out of a barbershop in Florida for $150 and used it to create Bluegrass Mandolin music.

Jamie