Mandolin-Driven String Bands

[Fultoncreek]

Though possibly searching through a haystack where there isn't any needle, I'm looking for mandolin-driven string bands, particularly those of the early days of recorded country music. I know many bands included a mandolin, but I'm particularly interested in those that did not have the fiddle and put the mandolin in the "fiddle slot." I'm aware of the Three Tobacco Tags and the Scottdale String Band; and of course many of the early brother duets (especially the Monroes) almost fit that description. But I suspect there may have been groups that I've simply missed. Anybody?

Thanks.

[Ranald]

Many of the old string bands had a mandolinist who was also a fiddler, and switched between the instruments. Have a look at the "Blues, Stomps, & Rags" entries on the Jazz, Swing, Blues, Bossa, Choro, Klezmer, Ragtime genre category down the Forum page, and you'll find plenty of string bands with prominent mandolin playing. Whether those bands are "mandolin-driven" is another question though.

[Charles E.]

The 6 & 7/8ths Stringband from New Orleans........

https://folkways.si.edu/the-six-and-...um/smithsonian

[Charles E.]

Fiddlin Doc Roberts when he was not playing fiddle.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHjNfuFvpo

[David L]

Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong.

[A 4]

The Blue Sky Boys generally come up in a discussion like this, but maybe that is not what you are looking for. I think of them as a song-based duo, kind of like the Monroe Brothers. Are you thinking more instrumental string band music, playing fiddle tunes without the fiddle?

[allenhopkins]

Any group with Kenny Hall in it, such as Sweets Mill String Band, and later Heartland Harvest:



The Three Stripped Gears:



The Skillet Lickers when Ted Hawkins was featured:



That one's just a duet with Skillet Lickers' guitarist Riley Puckett

[oliverkollar]

I've posted this before.....here it is again!

It's very very good.



Also available on iTunes.

[A 4]

If we are talking about more contemporary bands, Take Two won the Clifftop neo-traditional contest last year without a fiddle, and with mostly mandolin family instruments. They are somehow related, literally, to the Mando Mafia out of Virginia. I couldn't find a video of Take Two's winning performance, but here is a video of them in the campground:


Norman Blake's Original Underground Music from the Mysterious South has mandolin-centric tunes on it:



And:



I think there is fiddle on album, but those two tracks at least are mandolin heavy. And the cello on the first one is pretty dreamy.

[Bill McCall]

Foghorn String Band

[Charles E.]

A 4, the mandolin player in Take Two (with the beard) has got to be Kelly Perdue's son. Great to see such good young players carrying on the music.

[Fultoncreek]

The Blue Sky Boys generally come up in a discussion like this, but maybe that is not what you are looking for. I think of them as a song-based duo, kind of like the Monroe Brothers. Are you thinking more instrumental string band music, playing fiddle tunes without the fiddle?

Yes, the latter. I love the Blue Sky Boys and that type, but what I was wondering about was, as you've rightly said it, a string band playing fiddle tunes without the fiddle.

[MontanaMatt]

https://youtu.be/Bii7cMaHhfc Take Two contest vid
Anyone know how to find more of their stuff?

[Bob Buckingham]

Then there is one of the best string bands ever our of South Carolina, the Poplin Family.

https://folkways.si.edu/the-poplin-f...um/smithsonian

[mandotool]

Not exactly "mandolin driven" but some rare early footage here w/ great Banjo Mandolin....Whistlers Jug Band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwo6HVTacYs

[AlanN]

Major Contay and The Canebreak Rattlers. Weren't they mandolin driven?