Must Learn Album

Hello everyone,

I've been playing mandolin for a while, but recently become more serious about going back and learning some traditional bluegrass stuff that I neglected when I first picked up he instrument.

My primary instrument is banjo. When I first started learning the banjo my teacher and I worked through the entire "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" album. It's such a good album to learn because it's fun, the banjo is featured prominently, and the arrangements are challenging but still in reach of the average player given some work. And once you finish it you know a lot of standard repertoire of licks.

Is there a similar album/set of recordings in the mandolin world n terms of traditional bluegrass mandolin, that would be good for an intermediate player to work through? I love listening to progressive players like Sam Bush and David Grisman, but some of their stuff I'm obviously not ready to get to yet.

Appreciate your help.

-Jim

A lot of Bill Monroe's best stuff came before the album era (people were listing to 78rpm records), but I would say focusing on his playing from 1946-1958 is the best. These are available on Bear Family compilations, and some are on Spotify (complete Castle records for early 50s).

The Peter Rowan album The First Whippoorwill has Sam Bush doing his best early 50s Monroe impression, and it's really good.

Bluegrass Album Band's recordings also have the great Doyle Lawson keeping it pretty traditional. Doesn't hurt to study those.

Checkout Mike Comptons lessons on https://pegheadnation.com

if there is one album that IMHO is quintessential BG listening "Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe".
Tony Rice "Bluegrass instrumentals" is another.
if your looking for more song oriented music - The Bluegrass albums with Rice and Skaggs, as well as the New South Albums with Rice and Skaggs and J.D. Crowe of course.

The classic "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (1972) set from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and legends of oldtime and bluegrass is an essential place to start. Many favorite jam tunes are performed by the original folks who did them, or their contemporaries. There were two follow-up releases with more first generation bluegrassers, younger players, and country-rock pop stars were also released, but the original set is the one to start with.

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You might like to listen to "Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza"

featuring Sam Bush, David Grisman, Ronnie Mcreynolds, Bobby Osborne, Ricky Skaggs, Frank Wakefield, Buck White & Del Mccoury

It's all instrumental, just mandolin and guitar, a wide range of styles and levels of difficulty.

Another vote for Mandolin Extravaganza.

Adam

I found the Scaggs and Rice album to be very accessible and many of the tunes are easy to learn. Good luck.