Andrew Marlin and Sam Bush
Andrew Marlin and Sam Bush
"Keep your hat on, we may end up miles from here..." - Kurt Vonnegut
At first, David Grisman for sure, and probably Jeff Austin. It really is a stretch to narrow it down to just 2 though. I didn't seek to play mandolin, it found me really. I had been into progressive bluegrass for many years, but getting hooked on the mandolin has spurred a deep dive into the more traditional stuff and some different players.
When I first started with mandolin, my main influences were all the real-world people I met who also played mandolin. That included other beginners, a tutor who was himself-self-taught, family members and so on. External influences, mainly balalaika on record and very rare mandolin found on 'novelty' 78rpm discs. Beyond that, pretty much self-taught.
Jethro
I started very young and Jethro Burns was the only one I ever heard of.
Easy - David Grisman and Norman Blake
Stormy Morning Orchestra
My YouTube Channel
"Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"
Bill Monroe and Pee Wee Lambert
Levon Helm, Robin Williamson and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
In the mid 70's I moved to a small Florida town. Fell in with a couple of guys who played guitars, as I did. We wanted to try to make a band so I decided to try the mandolin to give some variety to all the guitars. Never regretted it. Initially I was hooked on bluegrass, so Bill Monroe. Then I discovered the Dawg and expanded my interest.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Bill Monroe and Ricky Skaggs
I'm older than most of you on this Forum, so my introduction to the mandolin go back to the mid 1960s. Many of the mandolinists mentioned earlier in this thread were not even born yet!
It was my purchase of the Dillards LP, "Back Porch Bluegrass" that got me started. I was blown away by the playing of Dean Webb and Doug Dillard, trading breaks on the mandolin and banjo. Not long afterwards I was introduced to the Greenbriar Boys and the mandolin of Frank Wakefield.
So, it was Dean Webb and Frank Wakefield who were my first inspirations.
Of course, after that, there were many others. I admired Jesse McReynolds and worked on the crosspicking style for years. Never mastered it though.
....Rickker
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Jeez, I forgot to mention Dawg!! So Stiernberg, Jethro, Mr. Julin, and Dawg.
All my life I wanted to be somebody, now I realize I should have been more specific.
Robin was the first mandolin player I saw live.
When I first started, I'd have to say David Grisman, because DGQ was fresh and hot. Also Dick Fegy, 'cause I was listening to David Bromberg a lot.
Clark Beavans
That would have to be my father, beginning over 60 years ago. He got his mando in the mid '30s from 'Monkey Wards'. I started fooling around with it after listening to his playing, mostly OTM. Chinese Breakdown was his favorite, along with an eponymous breakdown with which I begin almost every playing session.
Still have the old Regal, or whatever it is. Along with six or seven others of various ages and values. What a ride!
I listened to Bush and Grisman.... OAOTW and NGR.... It was a decade before I started to "get" what all was going on. Remember it was the late 70's ….. LP's and cassettes were what was available. The first mandolin playing I recall hearing was Les Thompson playing Billy in the Lowground on the NGDB recording Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy. R/
I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...
Every time I heard Mr. Bojangles played by The Nittry Gritty Dirt Band the mandolin in the song always made me wish that I played one. First heard it in 1976 +/- but didn't pick one up until 2015.
Not easy. Early on for this time, it's Ralph Tuttila (given since I was/am playing with him), Bob Douglas, Peter Ostroushko.
When I first tried mandolin about a decade ago, it would have been Norman Blake, Dawg, and Chirps Smith. And probably Peter then too. Used to see him quite a bit at some of the odd job gigs he had downtown Minneapolis.
Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Flatiron 1N, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
https://www.facebook.com/LauluAika/
https://www.lauluaika.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Longtine-Am...14404553312723
Sam Bush and David Grisman. This was in the mid 1970s.
Now, my main inspirations are Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. I have moved beyond copying mandolinists to trying to copy whomever tickles my fancy. Dawg was the main inspiration for getting away from bluegrass and into jazz and Gypsy style music. He brought the music of Reinhardt and Grappelli to American shores in a big way with his 1975 album and beyond.
And Matt Flinner. As an online instructor, he has moved me beyond the plateau upon which I was stuck.
Jethro Burns
my uncle Gaspar Melito
Chris Thile, mainly because I mostly prefer Classical and Folk. I have recently become more into Celtic, and Bluegrass/Country is necessary because I sometimes go to jams.
It’s funny—when I first got inspired to pick up mandolin, I had barely heard of any famous mandolinists. Monroe and Grisman were probably the only ones. My inspiration came from a local old-time mandolinist, Jeff Haemer, whom I’d jammed with (as a fiddler) for years, and another amazing old-time mandolinist from Arizona, named Mark Chambers, who I met more recently.
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