Top Five Mandolin CDs?

[jmagill]

With our Mando & Banjo Week starting in a few days, our CD vendor asked me what would be the Top Five mandolin CDs he should try to keep in stock, so I thought I'd throw the question out to the Mando Brain Trust here on the Cafe.

How about it? Which five recordings would be representative of the breadth of the mandolin's possibilities? Please note that he didn't ask for the Top Five in a particular genre like bluegrass or swing, but five essential recordings that would show off the mandolin's range of expression in all its glory.

To make it a little easier, remember that the teaching staff will bring their own CDs, so there will already be recordings here by Mike Marshall, Radim Zenkl, Emory Lester, Don Stiernberg, Caterina Lichtenberg, Marla Fibish and Adam Tanner.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are eager to hear your opinions...

[AlanN]

Oh boy, How High The Moon...

First DGQ
Sam And Alan Together Again For The First Time (maybe on CD?)
Herschel Sizemore - Bounce Away (CD?)
Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson - Mandolin Chronicles
Bobby Clark - One-Legged Gypsy (CD?)

now I feel dirty...

[grassrootphilosopher]

1. Tone Poets (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tone-poets/id79262423)
why: colection of mandolin music (all Genres [classical, jazz, bluegrass, choro etc.), stellar instruments (Lloyd Loar F-5, 000-45 Martin), extremely well played. A great introduction into mandolin music.

2. Traversata (alternatively Serenata) (http://www.aonzo.com/docs_en/products_en.htm)
why: Italian/classical music, Traversate is extremely well recorded with a vast variety of US-immigrant classical music, Serenata is a wonderfull selection of old world classical/italian Music.

3. Ricky Skaggs and Friends sing the Songs of Bill Monroe (http://skaggsfamilyrecords.com/music...gs-bill-monroe)
why: You can´t get around Bill Monroe. But before being introduced to the master´s music, it may be a Little more listener friendly to have a more "modern", and maybe more aproachable selection of material rather than having a possible culture shock. Extremely well played it makes you want to listen to Bill Monroe´s music. (Bluegrass)

4. Dave Apollon The Man With The Mandolin (http://www.acousticdisc.com/acd_html/acd27.html)
why: The artistry of Dave Apollon is unequalled. The music is aweinspiring. (Jazz/Classical)

5. Tone Poems II (http://www.acousticdisc.com/acd_html/acd18.html)
why: Jazz music at its best, played on a variety of historically important instruments



Duh! I just read that Tone Poets is out of print... yet downloadable. So that makes it necessary to ad another one.

- Not for kids only (http://www.acousticdisc.com/acd_html/acd9.html)
why: Introduce your kids to wonderful music (teens threepoint F-4), Brahms ending (Guten Abend Gute Nacht) to "Oh Shennandoah", very nice songs, makes you want to pick imediately.


Of course you may feel dirty because you left gazillions of artists and milestone records out (Jacob do Bandolim, Jethro Burns, Tiny Moore, Johnny Gimble, Blue Sky Boys etc. etc.)

But I think that those recordings are so highly instructive that once you have them, you are willing and able to make your choices and to stumble on most of those that were left out.

[UsuallyPickin]

1. Playing it Straight Homer and Jethro
2. Tone Poems I Grisman and Rice
3. Skaggs and Rice for duet work simple and clean
4. Art in America Dave Peters
5. I'm betting on Thiele's Bach recording as being "that" good

[tree]

Just one for me this morning - The Mandolin Chronicles (Bibey/Benson). Incomparable tone and very fine, clean picking. Spare, tasteful use of some recording tricks (echo, scratchy vinyl LP sound) that actually add to the music being played. A variety of styles, including bluegrass, swing, and blues.

Always those 2 fine mandolins up front in the mix - I can't think of another recording that to my ears has a better mandolin sound. It's been on constant rotation in my iPod since it came out, and I'm not tired of it yet!

[Fiddler3]

Here goes... Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
Doyle Lawson- Tennessee Dreams
Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson-Mandolin Chronicles
Jethro Burns-Bye Bye Blues
Jethro Burns-Swing Low Sweet Mandolin
Whew!

[farmerjones]

Pizza Tapes

Jethro Burns LIVE

Nickel Creek (1st CD)

Greatful Dawg

Compton's Rotten Taters

[calden]

Do not neglect "Songs of Our Fathers." A collection of Jewish music by David Grisman and Andy Statman. Absolutely super mandolin playing and arrangements and outstanding musical selections. A GREAT introduction to Klezmer music if you are not familiar with that genre.

[mandopete]

From a bluegrass perspective here are my choices (in no particular order):

Bill Monroe & Doc Watson - Live Duet Recordings 1963-1980
John Reischman - Up In The Woods
Herschel Sizemore - My Style
Red Allen & Frank Wakefield - The Kitchen Tapes
David Grisman & Tony Rice - Tone Poems

As I look at my list I realize that 3 of these recordings are mandolin/guitar duets. To me that is one of the best settings for the mandolin.

I also noticed that most of these recordings feature a Lloyd Loar mandolin!

[grassrootphilosopher]

1. Playing it Straight Homer and Jethro
2. Tone Poems I Grisman and Rice
3. Skaggs and Rice for duet work simple and clean
4. Art in America Dave Peters
5. I'm betting on Thiele's Bach recording as being "that" good

Nice choice: 1. Comedy/Jazz, 2. vintage instruments, 3. guitar and mando duett with awesome vocals (this record is a third part harmony practice record), 4. great modern mando Music, 5. Bach, and that is where mando music is headed these days.
Even though I´m not a Thile fan your choice consists of excellent music and musicianship.

Pizza Tapes

Jethro Burns LIVE

Nickel Creek (1st CD)

Greatful Dawg

Compton's Rotten Taters

Great choice also:
Pizza Tapes = Rock legend plays acoustic with mando legend (you could have given Shadie Grove; that´s an equally great colaboration between Garcia and Grisman)
Jethro Burns LIVE = anything Burns burns
Nickle Creek = that´s what probably turned on many people to play the mandolin
Greatful Dawg = excellent movie, soundtrack is equally good, but I think the movie is elementary.
Rotten Taters = I think that this one is a must in each mando CD-collection. This is mando solo playing at its best.

Do not neglect "Songs of Our Fathers." A collection of Jewish music by David Grisman and Andy Statman. Absolutely super mandolin playing and arrangements and outstanding musical selections. A GREAT introduction to Klezmer music if you are not familiar with that genre.

Yes, that´s why it´s so awful to have to limit yourself to 5 CDs. Statman´s music is really important culturally and musically. But I daresay sometimes it is not for the faint of heart.

[Dagger Gordon]

Tony Rice Unit - Backwaters (J Reischman on mandolin - my favourite playing by him)

The Melonious Quartet - Au Sud De La Mandoline. Outstanding French group - this is probably their best.

Marshall/ Thile - Into The Cauldron. An amazing romp through all kinds of stuff with only two mandolins (actually a little mandocello as well). I love the sound of the recording.

Shooglenifty - Venus In Tweeds. Classic first album by the great Scottish Acid/Croft outfit.

David Grisman Quintet - Quintet 80. Had to include something by the Dawg. Always loved this album.

Should also really include Serenata by Carlo Aonzo and Beppe Gambetta, and Flatbush Waltz by Andy Statman

[Justus True Waldron]

Hmmm.... For me it would have to be:

Chris Thile - Not All Who Wander Are Lost
David Grisman/Andy Statman - Songs of Our Fathers
Tony Rice - Acoustics
Wayne Benson/Alan Bibey - Mandolin Chronicles
Any of John Reischman's albums

All of these are albums that for me substantially changed my ideas of what could be done with a mandolin, and remain things I go back to for inspiration.

[mandroid]

Does't the music industry track sales ? ASCAP? BMI
they certainly spend money scouting out un licensed covers of music being played by anyone.

but I guess this is a personal choice list your favorite .. question ..


Carry on ..