Favorite Mandolin Recordings

I was thinning out some files on my computer and came across this list. I put it together about 10 years back and can't remember why. It might have been for some thread going around on MandoCafe. Anyway, I'd be interested in seeing similar lists from others.

Five of my Favorite Mandolin Recordings

Its hard to limit my favorite recordings to five. With a couple exceptions, my listing isn’t necessarily of recordings that feature the mandolin, but more of recordings that stick in my memory because they were where I first heard the mandolin being used in a particular style.

John Hartford – Aereo-Plain (1971) and Morning Bugle (1972)
Yes this is two recordings but I didn’t want to leave out either. Norman Blake played mandolin on both recordings and Hartford also played on Morning Bugle. On Aereo-Plain Blake provides a beautiful accompaniment to the ballad “The First Girl I Ever Loved”. Adding texture and emotion to a song like this remains one of my favorite uses of the mandolin. “My Rag” on Morning Bugle is typical Hartford fun with him calling out the chord changes while he bounces through a great little rag.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle be Unbroken (1972)
Like many of my generation, this was the first time I gave bluegrass music a serious listen. And with the likes of Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis and Vasser Clements I could not have asked for a better introduction to the genre. The mandolin playing is by the NGDB’s Les Thompson who I don’t think had been playing the mando for very long prior to this recording. He had his work cut out for him playing with all those great players and he did a great job of playing in the traditional style. He takes some nice breaks including one on my favorite all time fiddle tune “Lonesome Fiddle Blues”.

David Grisman – Hot Dawg (1979)
Swinging! Whoda thunk that an instrument mostly heard playing country could swing with the likes of Stephan Grappelli? While this was his second recording of “Dawg” music, it was my introduction to the style and it absolutely blew me away! It also introduced me to the playing of Tony Rice, Mike Marshall, and Darrell Anger. All great musicians who would become regular collaborators with Grisman.

Kenneth “Jethro” Burns – Swing Low, Sweet Mandolin (1994)
I remember seeing Homer and Jethro on TV as a kid, but I never really gave Jethro a serious listen until I started picking the mandolin in the 90s. This is one of the last recordings Jethro made and it shows him still enjoying playing as much as ever. He is accompanied by the very swinging guitar of Don Stiernberg.

Jorma Kaukonen – Blue Country Heart (2002)
Kaukonen, guitarist for Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, recorded this CD of old country blues tunes with the hottest players of the day – Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Byron House, and Bela Fleck. This recording is great fun and Sam Bush’s mando and fiddle playing adds some fresh new ideas to these old tunes. Sam shows great restraint and seems content not being featured. Check out his simple bouncy rhythm playing on “Bread Line Blues” and listen to how he sets the grove for the tune.