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  1. A Little Bender on the Fender

    Just dropping a note to say that I gigged last night (Thursday June 17, 2010) as an electric mandolin player for the first time in at least half a year. What a gas! The gig was another of my series of lobby appearances. (Always the bridesmaid/lobby, never the bride/theater.) This one with Señor of Señor Circus. He was Señor I was this Circus last night.

    Playing through the tunes, I was flying around moderate tempo rock/pop tunes with the happiest of ease on my 8 string Fender ...
  2. Red Mandolin Cafe Ball Cap

    Had quite a few requests for a red version of the ball cap in a post I made about new ball cap colors coming next week, and here it is. One note: red can be fussy on monitors and I'm not sure this is exactly the red tone captured in this image, and each monitor will see it differently. This is a bit bright I think. All I can add is I do like the way it turned out although the idea of it didn't grab me initially, but if the feedback is good on this may order some next time I restock.

    ...
  3. New Mandolin Cafe Ballcap Colors

    We want to give our visitors a preview of the new Mandolin Cafe ball cap colors. In addition to our original Khaki (center), we'll soon have options for Olive Green (left) and Charcoal (right). The samples we just received from our supplier are outstanding and we're really happy how they've turned out, and glad to offer different colors to those that have inquired. We anticipate receiving and then making the new colors available approximately one week from today.

    Pricing will remain ...

    Updated May-25-2010 at 10:31am by Scott Tichenor

    Categories
    Mandolin Cafe Site Information
  4. Long Black Veil (HD version)

    My friend, Fran, put together this video from multiple camera angles and included the mandolin tracks we cut too!



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziZD2FBHy2Q

    Daniel

    Updated Jan-08-2022 at 12:15pm by Mandolin Cafe

    Categories
    Recording Sessions
  5. Long Black Veil

    Hi Everyone!
    I just posted a new video to Youtube. The song is "Long Black Veil" by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkins. The arrangement is something I came up with a few years ago.

    The occasion is a recording session I did last week (May 12, 2010), which is why the big capsule mics are hanging in the shot.

    Again, no mandolin on my part, but plenty of space for yours.
    • Short opening at the top and a full verse break after the first refrain. ...

    Updated Jan-08-2022 at 5:04pm by Mandolin Cafe

    Categories
    Recording Sessions
  6. How Do You Get to the Gallo Center? Practice, Practice, Practice

    [Reprinted from the May issue of Stanislaus Connections]

    Saturday evening in mid-March, the sun is setting over
    Modesto and sending laser-like rays into the large lobby
    windows of the Gallo Center in Modesto, California. As picturesque as it is, the illumination seems unnatural for a night-time place like a theater. It is spilling reflected light against the back wall causing the bartender to shade her eyes. The marble floor is a sort of a
    pinkish ...
    Categories
    Gigging
  7. A Few Lessons from a Spring Outdoor Gig

    I am writing this and posting it largely to remind myself of the following lessons. Perhaps those of you who also play out will benefit from it.

    The Gig:
    • Outdoor gig at a Farmer's Market in a small town in California's central valley.
    • Four sets.
    • One hundred dollars for the band plus tips.
    Weather:
    • Sunny and breezy with gusts up to 25mph
    The Stage
    • A dirt median strip in a parking lot
    • Awning provided for shade ...
    Categories
    Gigging
  8. Greetings from the Edge of the San Joaquin River…

    [Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Stanislaus Connections]

    The annual Tule Fog Fete is a fundraising event for Modesto, California’s Great Valley Museum. Held outdoors at Caswell Memorial State Park, the child-centered event includes live animal exhibits, docent-led walks through the park’s many riverside paths, snacks, silent auctions, and live music.

    As a local amateur musician, I volunteer my services every year to the Great Valley Museum and the Tule Fog Fete. ...
    Categories
    Gigging
  9. Need Source for Free Traditional Tunes in Standard Notation

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Roberts View Post
    All the tunes you could want are on:

    http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FCfiles.html

    After you copy them to your clipboard (They are in ABC format), paste them to

    http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

    and you can print out a pdf in standard notation. No charge.

    (You may have to remove extra lines from your paste depending on your software.)
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    Uncategorized
  10. "My life" as a mandolin player...

    I started playing mandolin in high school. I found out it was truely in my blood. My mother and father was taking me to bluegrass festivals almost every weekend so it was really seeping in at a very young age. My first festival was Raccoon Creek at age 7. I got my first mandolin at age 13 and that is where the madness began. My first group I was in was called "I'll have to come back to it, I honestly can't remember". Second group was the most longest running show. It was "Misery River" ...
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    Uncategorized