In order to help me get over the sale of some flutes I have, wisely or not, ordered myself a mandolin so I'm looking for suggestions for listening whilst I feverishly await its arrival.Cheers.
It depends on whether you are looking for mandolin virtousity or good tunes which you can play on mandolin in a session or similar. If it's the latter, most good traditional albums (especially fiddle) are worth checking out.
Otherwise, try listening to Planxty, Andy Irvine material etc. Other specific mandolin albums you could listen to are "A mandolin album" -Paul Kelly and Kevin McLeod's " Springwell"/"Polbain to Oranmore", Dagger Gordon "A Highland mandolin"/"Frozen river". Simon Mayor is also a great player, though not exclusively traditional. There's also Tim O'Brien who does a lot of good "cross over" stuff eg old time American and Irish etc. That's not to mention all the great bluegrass artists. Where do you start?
Actually, if you just wish to play Irish trad, my first suggestion is probably the best.
The "Shooglenifty" albums are worth listening to, also. Iain MacLeod and his successor Luke Plumb are both great mandolin players. However, as I said, you can gain a lot from listening to players of all instruments.
Dan Beimborn's "Shatter The Calm" is a great ear-opener, as is Michael Kerry's "The Rocky Road". Two very different, very stylish approaches to the mandolin (and the mandolin family!).
"Thanks, its very much the Irish/Scottish area that I am interested in, I will always go for feeling before virtuosity."
Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the mandolin. I've always felt that it's one of those instruments that you need to be pretty much a virtuoso on before you can express much feeling - or even be interesting to listen to as a solo player, come to that.
Nothing against mandolins, btw, I like them well enough. But fiddles they ain't.
You certainly have to approach the instrument in a different way and to be a good solo player does require additional skill. It depends, though, on what Murphydog wants to do just at this moment.
'The Atlantic Journey' by John Colfer and James Kane is great. It's Mandolin, Mandola, banjo (Colfer) and harmonica (Kane). Colfer is from Co. Galway and Kane is from Massachusetts. Good Irish trad. music. It's hard to find, but I understand that you can get it here: http://shannaquay.com
"Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the mandolin."
Maybe because, in the hands of a hack, it can make a fairly unlovely sound. But the same could be said of just about any instrument. I've played with fiddlers who've sawed and scraped and gouged and I might end up thinking "Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the fiddle".
Like any instrument, the mandolin is capable of expressing feeling. Personally I love the way in which double stops and three-note chords can be used to embellish tunes on the mandolin to underline certain high and low points within a tune. Dan Beimborn (mentioned above) is particularly adept at this (e.g. in his version of The Eagle's Whistle) and has been a big influence on my own playing.
Aidan, I agree about hack fiddlers of course, and I've heard more than enough of those for one lifetime. But I do think that a fiddler or whistle can, without having an incredible technical command of the instrument, make music that I can really enjoy listening to. Whereas (perhaps because I don't play the mandolin at all well) it seems to me that you need much more skill to make a mandolin come alive and sing - to transcend its limitations, if you like.
I started playing the mandolin a little under two years ago, purely with the intention of using it to boost my repertoire of tunes that I could then try out on the fiddle, thinking that I'd find it quite limited. Having played the guitar for many years and the fiddle for about 2 years I didn't think I'd have any trouble picking it up (which I didn't).
I was pleasantly surprised as to how well people reacted to tunes on the mandolin though, certain tunes really lend themselves to it, and it can add a very punctuating effect to tunes when playing in company. You can't go wrong with picking out a few good fiddle tunes to start off, and you'll soon figure out exactly what type of tunes will sound well on it.
I think once you have a few tunes under your belt with the mandolin you will be hooked. It is a beautiful instrument as is the whole mandolin family !
"Mandolinists really don't come any more tasteful than Andy Irvine, and I think he's a remarkable musician for the sensitivity and sheer invention of his song accompaniments." Simon Mayor
Andy Irvine would be top of my list for mandolin and bouzouki. Check out his Planxty work and even the latest Mozaik cd.
Mandolin cds
Mandolin cds
In order to help me get over the sale of some flutes I have, wisely or not, ordered myself a mandolin so I'm looking for suggestions for listening whilst I feverishly await its arrival.Cheers.
# Posted on July 27th 2004 by murphydog
Re: Mandolin cds
It depends on whether you are looking for mandolin virtousity or good tunes which you can play on mandolin in a session or similar. If it's the latter, most good traditional albums (especially fiddle) are worth checking out.
Otherwise, try listening to Planxty, Andy Irvine material etc. Other specific mandolin albums you could listen to are "A mandolin album" -Paul Kelly and Kevin McLeod's " Springwell"/"Polbain to Oranmore", Dagger Gordon "A Highland mandolin"/"Frozen river". Simon Mayor is also a great player, though not exclusively traditional. There's also Tim O'Brien who does a lot of good "cross over" stuff eg old time American and Irish etc. That's not to mention all the great bluegrass artists. Where do you start?
Actually, if you just wish to play Irish trad, my first suggestion is probably the best.
# Posted on July 27th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Mandolin cds
Oh, I forgot to mention Mick Moloney. How remiss of me!
# Posted on July 27th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Mandolin cds
Thanks, its very much the Irish/Scottish area that I am interested in,I will always go for feeling before virtuosity
# Posted on July 27th 2004 by murphydog
Re: Mandolin cds
The "Shooglenifty" albums are worth listening to, also. Iain MacLeod and his successor Luke Plumb are both great mandolin players. However, as I said, you can gain a lot from listening to players of all instruments.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Mandolin cds
Dan Beimborn's "Shatter The Calm" is a great ear-opener, as is Michael Kerry's "The Rocky Road". Two very different, very stylish approaches to the mandolin (and the mandolin family!).
Here's a link to Shatter The Calm http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/658
And here's a link to The Rocky Road http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display.php/659
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Mandolin cds
"Thanks, its very much the Irish/Scottish area that I am interested in, I will always go for feeling before virtuosity."
Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the mandolin. I've always felt that it's one of those instruments that you need to be pretty much a virtuoso on before you can express much feeling - or even be interesting to listen to as a solo player, come to that.
Nothing against mandolins, btw, I like them well enough. But fiddles they ain't.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Mandolin cds
You certainly have to approach the instrument in a different way and to be a good solo player does require additional skill. It depends, though, on what Murphydog wants to do just at this moment.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Mandolin cds
'The Atlantic Journey' by John Colfer and James Kane is great. It's Mandolin, Mandola, banjo (Colfer) and harmonica (Kane). Colfer is from Co. Galway and Kane is from Massachusetts. Good Irish trad. music. It's hard to find, but I understand that you can get it here: http://shannaquay.com
Dave
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by man_dola2
Re: Mandolin cds
"Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the mandolin."
Maybe because, in the hands of a hack, it can make a fairly unlovely sound. But the same could be said of just about any instrument. I've played with fiddlers who've sawed and scraped and gouged and I might end up thinking "Funny, feeling is not a quality I immediately associate with the fiddle".
Like any instrument, the mandolin is capable of expressing feeling. Personally I love the way in which double stops and three-note chords can be used to embellish tunes on the mandolin to underline certain high and low points within a tune. Dan Beimborn (mentioned above) is particularly adept at this (e.g. in his version of The Eagle's Whistle) and has been a big influence on my own playing.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Aidan Crossey
Re: Mandolin cds
Aidan, I agree about hack fiddlers of course, and I've heard more than enough of those for one lifetime. But I do think that a fiddler or whistle can, without having an incredible technical command of the instrument, make music that I can really enjoy listening to. Whereas (perhaps because I don't play the mandolin at all well) it seems to me that you need much more skill to make a mandolin come alive and sing - to transcend its limitations, if you like.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Mandolin cds
"Transcend its limitations, if you like."
Excuuuse me, but I DON'T like. I find the sweet, bell-like tones of a mandolin transcendental and not at all limited, thank you very much.
Harumph.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by ketida
Re: Mandolin cds
I started playing the mandolin a little under two years ago, purely with the intention of using it to boost my repertoire of tunes that I could then try out on the fiddle, thinking that I'd find it quite limited. Having played the guitar for many years and the fiddle for about 2 years I didn't think I'd have any trouble picking it up (which I didn't).
I was pleasantly surprised as to how well people reacted to tunes on the mandolin though, certain tunes really lend themselves to it, and it can add a very punctuating effect to tunes when playing in company. You can't go wrong with picking out a few good fiddle tunes to start off, and you'll soon figure out exactly what type of tunes will sound well on it.
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by oraghalm
Re: Mandolin cds
I think once you have a few tunes under your belt with the mandolin you will be hooked. It is a beautiful instrument as is the whole mandolin family !
"Mandolinists really don't come any more tasteful than Andy Irvine, and I think he's a remarkable musician for the sensitivity and sheer invention of his song accompaniments." Simon Mayor
Andy Irvine would be top of my list for mandolin and bouzouki. Check out his Planxty work and even the latest Mozaik cd.
KS
http://www.chinatogalway.com/
# Posted on July 28th 2004 by KS
Re: Mandolin cds
You should check out Daithà Kearney on the Nuada album, "Open the Door for 3" available from Ossian. Proving popular at the moment.
# Posted on August 9th 2004 by Dceol
Re: Mandolin cds
Listen to the Shetland band Hom Bru, at www.hombru.co.uk, two mandolins in harmony.
# Posted on October 22nd 2004 by tirvaluk