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  1. Mandolin Mondays #406 w/ Special Guest Jesse Smathers

    This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Floyd, VA, mandolinist and guitarist of the Lonesome River Band, Jesse Smathers, playing the "Methodist Preacher" on his Hinde mandolin.



    Jesse began playing the guitar at age 11, picked up the mandolin at 15, and was heavily influenced by the music of Lonesome River Band. In 2009, he won the guitar championship of the Virginia Folk Music Association. The following year, ...
  2. Mandolin Mondays #405 w/ Jonah Horton & Nathaniel Gilmore

    This week on Mandolin Mondays, we're joined by Jonah Horton of The Trailblazers and percussionist Nathaniel Gilmore, playing their version of Weather Report's "Black Market." Jonah's tearing up that retrofitted Hondo HM5E electric mandolin!



    From Wilkesboro, NC, Jonah Horton has been playing mandolin from a very young age. In addition to his work with the progressive bluegrass band, The Trailblazers, ...
  3. Mandolin Mondays #404 /// "Kentucky Mandolin"

    Such a fun Monroe tune to play on a fitting instrument!



    If you want to hear how this mandolin stacks up against 6 other beginner mandolins, check out the recent beginner mandolin comparison video that we just did on the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmTu2GpRE7o

    Also, if you want a transcription of this arrangement, you can find the tab/notation here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ubS...ew?usp=sharing ...
  4. Mandolin Mondays #403 w/ Special Guest R. Wesley Carr

    This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by 2019 National Mandolin Champion, R. Wesley Carr playing an original tune called "The Chicken Thief" on his Collings MF5 Custom mandolin.



    Recent winner of the prestigious National Mandolin Championships in Winfield, Kansas, R. Wesley Carr has demonstrated a rare ability to combine masterful technique and innovation while paying homage to tradition. ...
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  5. Luperce Miranda - Brazil's Paganini of the Mandolin, Part 1

    Elisa Meyer Ferreira

    I'm currently riding in a motorhome somewhere in the middle of North Carolina, and recalling one of my most pleasant memories- the chats I used to have with my beloved mandofriend Mr. Paulo Fasanaro. Every Saturday morning, we used to get together at a very traditional "roda de choro" in São Paulo city where Mr. Paulo would be waiting to offer me his mandolin to play. I would be anxious to show him the new things I practiced during the week. He would ...

    Updated Sep-19-2023 at 1:01pm by Mandolin Cafe

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  6. Mandolin Mondays #402 w/ Special Guest Ian Coury

    Back with a vengeance! This week Brazilian mandolinst Ian Coury returns to Mandolin Mondays with this virtousic original composition called "Solando no Limbo" (Soloing in Limbo) played on his powerful 10-string bandolim built by Pedro Santos.



    If you're unfamiliar with Ian's work, he's one of the most respected virtuosos of the 10-string bandolim and the Choro genre. Since last on the series, Ian has been busy teaching ...
  7. Mandolin Mondays #401 w/ Special Guest Noah Fishman

    This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Maine multi-instrumentalist Noah Fishman and his Campanella Dué mandolin playing this moving original tune entitled "The Way Home" from his recent album.



    Noah Fishman is a performer, composer, and educator. Rooted in Maine, Noah ventures to make bold, playful statements by bending lines between folk, chamber, and jazz. At home on a number of stringed instruments including ...
  8. Carl Jones and Erynn Marshall - Online Classes Return Sept 2023

    by , Sep-04-2023 at 5:41pm (Carl Jones Mandolin Workshop: Concert Window Jan 6, 1 PM EST)
    Hello to all string ticklers out there,
    Just like you I am always trying to improve my playing and one common denominator we all have is using and selecting a pick.
    Nowadays there are so many choices it's hard to choose. Does the pick make that much difference?
    I will say I have tried many picks through the years and do like the sound and tone of some of the more expensive ones. That being said, I have seen a great player produce an equally amazing sound with a plectrum he ...
  9. Mandolin Mondays #400!

    Wow, another huge milestone for Mandolin Mondays--400 consecutive weeks! In celebration, I'm so excited to be with you all this week to play a little music with this 1923 Gibson A model snakehead mandolin that I recently acquired. Been loving the way that Bach's music sounds on this thing, so I thought I'd share my take on the beautiful Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1.



    Can't thank you all enough for watching these 8 years! ...
  10. Mandolin Mondays #399 w/ Special Guest Ward Dhoore

    This week on Mandolin Mondays we're joined by Belgian multi-instrumentalist Ward Dhoore playing an absolutely beautiful original composition called "Bobby" on his Shippey Axe Octave Mandolin.



    Born in Sint-Lievens-Houtem in the Flemish part of Belgium Ward Dhoore grew up in a musical family. Early on he started touring all over Europe, the UK, the US, and Canada with his two brothers Koen & ...