# General Mandolin Topics > Mandolin Cafe News Discussions >  Article: The 1988 Jethro Burns Interview

## Mandolin Cafe

You can view the page at https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/c...urns-Interview

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## Mandolin Cafe

Had a nice visit by phone with author Ted Heinonen a few minutes before publishing this. He's among us and I hope he weighs in. Love this interview because you can just hear Jethro's voice and how he used to start sentences with "OK..." An interesting perspective on the mandolin world from a long time ago. 

Ted said builder Lloyd LaPlant is in the workshop photo posted at the bottom of the article. Not sure but guessing he's the first person just left of Jethro in the picture, in the back row.

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## Don Stiernberg

Beautiful

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## theinone

Hei everyone, Glad I was able to share this interview with the Cafe. I felt lucky to have been able to meet one of my mandolin heros and to be able to interview him. Yes, that is Lloyd to the back and the left.
As I told Scott this morning on the phone, Jethro was very generous with his time at our workshop, and Jean and I had a great time hearing tall tales of Nashville in the early days with Homer. I'm still looking through my old files for photos and such and will share them if I find any. 
Thanks again to Scott and this great web-site.

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BradKlein

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## Nathan Kellstadt

Thanks Ted (and Jeannie). What a pleasant surprise to come home from work and be able to read this interview. There's only one Jethro. Really appreciate you sharing this with all of us.

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## Jim Garber

Wonderful! I had the pleasure of participating in the one and only weeklong workshop that Jethro taught at Augusta Heritage back in 1983. It was a privilege to learn from the Maestro and to hear a few hours of stories about Joe Venuti and others.

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## John Soper

Fun Read!  Thanks Ted (and Jeannie) and Scott.

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## Rush Burkhardt

Thank you for a look at a slice of music history! Jethro sounds, as you describe him, like a charming and gentle man. A great pioneer for music and the mandolin!
 :Popcorn:

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## rosewoodmusic

Thank you, Ted! Thanks Jeannie! that was fun. Proof that Duluth is the center of the mandolin universe.

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## Frankdolin

Thanks so much !!!

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## Mandolin Cafe

Seeing Jethro's words about his own music that was out of print just happens to coincides with today's date, when Kaleidoscope records released his solo record _Tea For One_, still to be found on occasion for sale on amazon in LP format. Have our copy. It's a masterpiece. Hope to see it re-released on CD or digitally.

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AlanN

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## Chief

Great stuff- thanks Ted. I'm to the left of Lloyd in the back row. I remember that workshop well. Jethro complimented my cheap Epiphone mandolin that I played at that time. He said he used to play a similar one. Too bad a little of his talent didn't rub off.

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## Paul Statman

Priceless. Thanks so much for sharing this.

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## Jim

Great read, thanks for printing this interview. I wish more of his work was available today. Most of what I've gotten to hear has been old TV spots on YouTube.

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## farmerjones

What a great treasure!
 Thanks Ted! Thanks indeed!

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## MikeZito

Absolutely spectacular!  Thank you!  You made my day!

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## Mandolin Cafe

Ted sent one more image of Jethro:

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## Jon Hall

Thanks for the interview Ted!

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## domradave

I was one of Jethro's students by mail.  I also spoke to him on the telephone.  His Mel Bay books changed my life.  I got the tapes of the books from Ken Eidson and Ken's other mandolin books from Mel Bay.  I loved Jethro's column in Mandolin World News.
I miss him!

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## UsuallyPickin

Thanks for posting this. I'm not a Jethrophile as I can't play but one of his tunes. But I continue tp appreciate and enjoy his music. His words are always a pleasure as well. R/

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## grasspete

Enjoyed the article immensely, thank you so much for sharing this!

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## mandopops

Really loved the interview, as well. Jethro was funny, generous, & had a wealth of Mandolin knowledge & experience to share.
He was my 1st Mandolin teacher & I try to work that into any conversation I can. I am a unashamed Jethro name dropper. I'd love to hear Jethro's name dropped more often. We do hear a lot about Bill Monroe & Chris Thile. Rightfully so, two Giants in the Mandolin world. I think Jethro belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of Mandolin.

Joe B

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Charles E.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Our thanks to Ted Heinonen & Jeannie Anderson who allowed us to republish this old Jethro Burns interview two years ago today. It's a gem!

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## Bill McCall

Wonderful to reread this after learning about the Jazz From the Hills cd in a workshop with Don Steirnberg over the weekend.  Homer, Jethro, Chet, Dale Potter and George Barnes.  Great listen.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting today's anniversary of the republication of this great interview.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting the anniversary of this important interview brought back to digital life for future reference.

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## Mandolin Cafe

Noting the anniversary of this important feature.

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Tom Ronan

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## theinone

Just wanted to thank Scott and everyone with MandolinCafe for the opportunity to share this interview with everyone. Continued success and everyone - get that mando out of the case and make some noise!

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## Frankdolin

Thanks so much for " noting " this interview, and to "theinone" for getting it. Facinating.

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## jherm

i  got to meet him at the namm show in chicago at the mcormiick place in the mid seventies. i sat next to him and bugged him for an hour or so and picked his brain.   
 no  one person influenced more people on mando than jethro. ........not to many people are as amazing person as they are a player ...but jethro was   ...i believe he influenced many more people than he realized. ...... but then the great ones often do.

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