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On July 9th, 2023, music enthusiasts around the world will commemorate the 100th anniversary of a legendary instrument that forever changed the landscape of American music—the July 9, 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin owned by the father of bluegrass himself, Bill Monroe. This cherished instrument holds a significant place in the history of American music and continues to inspire generations of musicians. Join us as we delve into the fascinating story behind this iconic ...

Oi amigos do Mandolin Cafe!

At the end of my latest article I posed a question: If Callado is considered the father of Choro, why do you think we celebrate the National Choro Day on April 23?

The answer would be a quote by the critic and historian Ary Vasconcelos:

"If you have 15 volumes to talk about all of Brazilian popular music, be sure it's not enough. But if you only have the space for a word, all ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Utah mandolinist Brielle Petrie of the Copper Kettle Band playing an original tune called "The Merry Maple" on her Weber Bitterroot mandolin.



Brielle has always been interested in learning new instruments. She started learning classical violin/fiddle, then picked up piano and guitar. When she started learning mandolin and was introduced to bluegrass, ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays, we’re joined by Italian mandolinist Stefano Boldrin playing some beautiful Celtic interpretations of some Italian folks tunes on his Jimmy Moon mandolin.



Here’s a word from Stefano about his music and this video, “I live in Veneto and I play traditional folk music from Irish to Old Time, to North-Italian trad. Among my musical inspiration there are trad musician like Andy Irvine, Tim O'Brien, the Bothy Band ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Ohio-based mandolinist Titus Luckhaupt of the band My Brother's Keeper, playing a mando version of the theme music from HBO's Succession on his Northfield NFS-F5 model mandolin.



Here's a word from Titus about this video, "My name is Titus Luckhaupt and I’m a mandolinist from Cincinnati. I’ve been playing mandolin for my band My Brother’s Keeper for 12 ...

Back on Mandolin Mondays this week, we're joined by Pacific Northwest mandolinist Jack Dwyer and his Pomeroy mandolin, playing an original composition called "Downtown Rondo" from his brand new album Rondos Vol. 1.



Northwest songslinger and strum-for-hire, Jack Dwyer, has pursued a wide-ranging career as a songwriter, singer, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist side & studio musician, teacher, ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Australian mandolinist Justin Vilchez playing the Kenny Baker tune "Salty" on his Duff mandolin.



A mandolinist from Australia, Justin Vilchez began his musical journey playing music at the age of eight. His love for melody led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in jazz and contemporary music. He then ventured overseas to Canada, where he joined the ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Italian mandolinist Laetitia Barbera playing "Pelagias's Song" from the movie Captain Corelli's mandolin.



Born in Taormina, a beautiful town in Sicily, Laetitia began her studies in piano, double bass and mandolin at the Messina Conservatory at a very young age. She's a member of the centennial "Orchestra a plettro di Taormina." Laetitia developed her career ...

This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Icelandic mandolinist Guðmundur Atli Pétursson of the band Brek playing an original untitled composition on his 2010 Andrew Mowry mandolin.



Guðmundur has worked with the bluegrass band Illgresi, as well as participating in various projects such as playing musical instruments on recordings and concerts with Baggalút, Brother Grass, Krumma and others. Now he plays with the new Icelandic ...

Returning to Mandolin Mondays this week, we're joined by multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Andy Leftwich and his Gilchrist mandolin to share an original tune called "Kimper County" from his brand new solo album.



Four-time GRAMMY-winning instrumentalist Andy Leftwich began playing the fiddle at the age of six, entering his first contest at seven and winning the National Championship for Beginners ...