Tenor banjo, which is the instrument I’ve been playing until
now, seems to have two extremes. At one
end you’ve got the jazz guys – players like Eddy Davis, Cynthia Sayer, Elmer
Snowden, Buddy Wachter and Tyler Jackson.
At the other end you’ve got the Irish tenor banjo players such as Barney
McKenna, Mick Moloney, Gerry O’Connor, Enda Scahill, John Carty and Angelina
Carberry. There’s not much tenor banjo
in between.
Enter the mandolin world, however, and you can find examples
in almost any genre. For jazz there’s Dennis Pash, Jethro Burns,
Tiny Moore and Jamie Masefield. In old-time you’ve got Norman Blake, Kenny Hall, Clyde Curley
and Carl Jones. Notable Celtic
mandolin players include Andy Irvine,
Mick Moloney, Marla Fibish and Luke Plumb. Progressive/Newgrass
guys start with Chris Thile, Mike Marshall and David Grisman. I’d also like
to mention Danny Knicely and Sam Bartlett, two additional favorite mandolin
players of mine that I would characterize as eclectic.
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Dennis Pash (middle) w/ Nick Robinson (L) and Dave Krinkel (R) The Ragtime Skedaddlers |
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Clyde Curley (middle) with George Penk and Sue Songer |
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Marla Fibish w/ Jimmy Crowley |
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Danny Knicely of Furnace Mountain Band |
Mandolin’s versatility and playability ensures that you can have a lot of fun with it, whether you choose Bach, Bill Monroe, Brazilian Choro, or something of your own devising. In addition, the discussion forums at Mandolin Cafe and Mandolin Hangout ensure that you'll have an interactive support group to bounce ideas off of.
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