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Thread: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

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    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
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    Default Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer


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    Registered User Nick Royal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    A great interview. I've heard Choro das Tres a lot, starting with the Mandolin Symposium.
    All three women are really good musicians and very very friendly. ...and the dad is on percussion. If they play near you, do hear them.

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Great interview Dan and many thanks. This young lady is one of my favorite mandolin players... great sensitivity and great technique add up to a uniquely emotional player... she's GOT it!

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    And she's a great piano player too. And also did the cover art for the last cd.

    And as sweet and charming as can be.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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    Wow! Just . . wow! Fantastic playing, great interview - - many thanks.

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    Nice article about a spectacular player not well known outside the Choro world. I think I read the word "rising" as maybe not the correct adjective about a multi-intstrumentalist (bandolim, piano, composition, clarinet, etc) woman who started performing professionally at 9, her 'family band' has been featured on many national tv shows in Brazil for over a decade, and they have seven CDs and four US tours completed., and a European tour under construction for this year. She also has a beautiful solo CD, and she has performed twice or three times on the Mandolin Symposium stage, playing with her family and Mike Marshall etc. which is about as difficult a forum to be asked to as any in the last 25 years. Their FB videos have regularly broken over 100k views. If that's not "arrived" rather than "rising", then I don't know what is. And her sisters and father also are spectacular players on their own instruments. The 'family band' actually composes many of their newer CDs entire contents, as well as revive some never widely performed originals by older members of their roda circle. But thank you for featuring her to a wider audience. There are a small group of us around the country that have helped them navigate the US touring grind, and we would ask that any of you that might want to help them with additional dates in the fall, feel free to contact them! We have done house concerts as well as helped them with larger venues. You can too!
    Last edited by Al Bergstein; Feb-28-2017 at 2:29pm.

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    Registered User DSDarr's Avatar
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    What Al said! I've been lucky enough to hang out with Elisa and her family multiple times over the last 5 years (including hosting them for a house concert in Seattle) and they are charming folks and incredible musicians. Glad to see them getting more attention. Looking forward to seeing them again...

    David

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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    This brings back fond memories, not only because of Ms. Meyer and her accomplishments but because of her Manoel Andrade bandolim. I met Mr. Andrade in Sao Paulo about 2000 when I visited on a business trip. A friend there, Ricardo Dias, took me to many musical events and the highlight was a visit to the Roda (a choro jam) that Mr. Andrade held every Saturday at his home/shop. I bought a bandolim from him on that trip, visited again on later trips and I have my fourth one now, a custom--it took some tries to get a neck that suited me and it's been great. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago.

    I've let my choro chops go lately as I haven't found anyone nearby to play with but I need to get going again. Thanks for the wonderful interview!

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    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
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    Great job with my favorite up and coming Mandolin/Bandolim star.

    I first saw Choro Das 3 about 5 years ago at a house concert and what a delight it was. Each of the sisters are so much fun with tons of charm with Mom and Dad rounding out the crew. I don't know if Elisa was even 21 years old yet with Corina under 30 and Lia in between.

    Each time I've see Elisa play she has shown marked improvement in both technique and musicality. The last time was in June 2016 and I was blown away. She was so clean, articulate, precise, comfortable and did I say fast! To watch the family play is a special privilege. They been playin' since they's babies and it really shows. There are videos on youtube from the time they were children.

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    Registered User Al Trujillo's Avatar
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    I greatly admire families like this one who play together and appear to have nothing but the greatest love and respect for each other. Beautiful music, wonderful people. Thanks for sharing this with us. Each day is Discovery Day at Mandolin Cafe!

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    Registered User DougC's Avatar
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    She shows great respect for her teachers at the jam sessions who may not be well known outside their own area. And as she said, there are many styles of music.

    They are my favorite musicians also because they really know how share the fun of playing music. Sure hope to see them perform sometime. Buy a CD. It's the best way to help some really nice people.

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    Registered User Amy Burcham's Avatar
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    While Elisa may not yet be as well-known to this audience as her North American contemporaries, she is widely respected as a master of her craft across Brazil. Her body of recorded work is nothing short of astonishing - she dances effortlessly with melody, bringing stellar technique, fresh thoughts and a wicked sense of humor to performance. Everyone I have witnessed seeing her live has expressed not just how inspired but also how powerfully moved they were by the experience.

    The ensemble comprised of Elisa, Lia, Corina, and Eduardo is indeed a family; but the quality of their arrangements is so high, and their musical relationships form such a unique combination of precision and spontaneity, that in the great tradition of the very best ensembles, they seem often to speak as with one mind. I have never seen a family band anywhere near this tight. From their first CD, this was evident: In 2008 Choro das 3 was awarded the Best Group of Popular Music award by the Paulista Association of Critics of Art - the first time in the 50 years of this competition that an instrumental music group won. It is this level of play that has inspired so many composers across Brazil to submit new compositions for Choro das 3 to incorporate into their impressive repertoire. The sheer beauty of their sound has attracted many other top-drawer players to join them on their recent recorded albums, all self-recorded, and produced in their own studio.

    As a composer, Elisa is compelling and mature beyond her years while retaining the joy and iridescence that makes listening to her such a treat. The three women share a number of writing credits across over two dozen original works.

    The choro genre could not ask for a finer ambassador than Elisa Meyer, and while each of these amazing musicians holds her own in any playing configuration, I think she could not be better matched than by Corina and Lia. It's a pretty astounding musical partnership! Up here in the North, we have been very lucky to catch them on tour. I look forward to their return on the heels of their EU tour later this year and can’t wait to hear what they have been cooking up for their new CD.
    Last edited by Amy Burcham; Feb-28-2017 at 10:45pm.

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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Nice article.

    Any idea on the pickup/microphone that is attached to the mandolin?

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    NY Naturalist BradKlein's Avatar
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    Great job, Dan! So many lovely ideas and quotes. "I believe people who are struggling in the beginning phases of mandolin should just play it. Listen to it and play. Leave the understanding and thinking for later, now just enjoy the music itself." OK! I'm on it.

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    Registered User Freddyfingers's Avatar
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    Thanks for introducing some thing new musically to me!

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    Cafe Linux Mommy danb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Quote Originally Posted by BradKlein View Post
    Great job, Dan! So many lovely ideas and quotes. "I believe people who are struggling in the beginning phases of mandolin should just play it. Listen to it and play. Leave the understanding and thinking for later, now just enjoy the music itself." OK! I'm on it.
    Thanks Brad. I was really struck by how the respect she has for her teachers extends to a respect for the whole learning process, and for her students. Learning a whole piece at a time before getting into scales & drills is a great way to keep the joy at the center of the music where it belongs!
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Quote Originally Posted by MC16 View Post
    Nice article.

    Any idea on the pickup/microphone that is attached to the mandolin?
    Thanks! I use AKG C411. I was never brave enough to let a luthier make a hole on my mandolin so I could use the internal ones.

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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Hello Elisa,

    I have been listening to Brazilian music for many years.
    Excellent interview.
    Wonderful music. Thank you.

    I am also a fan of Cavaquinho.

  19. #19

    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Quote Originally Posted by Elisa Meyer View Post
    Thanks! I use AKG C411. I was never brave enough to let a luthier make a hole on my mandolin so I could use the internal ones.
    Thanks!

    I've been watching your Youtube videos. Great stuff!

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    Registered User Tom C's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Beautiful playing. Great interview.

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    The opening piece was recorded at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, one of the great small venues in the world. Great acoustics and sight lines, fantastic lineup of classical, jazz, folk and more, in the last few years I've seen Midori, Christian Tetzlaff, Del McCoury Band, the Hot Club of Cowtown, Alasdair Frazier, John Pizzarelli and Ramsey Lewis, Bucky Pizzarelli with Frank Vignola and Vinnie Raniolo, and a powerful show with Rhiannon Giddens, don't miss a chance to see her! And a killer view of Rockport Harbor no extra charge. Check it out, definitely worth a special trip.

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    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    I just bought "Impressões", and it's just so effortlessly graceful.

    Hoping they are planning on a European tour soon!!

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    Registered User mmukav's Avatar
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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Bom!

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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    "Quando Me Lembro" REALLY gets to me. Such great musicianship from "choro das 3".

    LOVE them! The whole family is so talented!

    PS:Elisa also plays a tenor/plectrum(?) banjo very well besides the other instruments mentioned.

    Interesting that another great mando player,Andy Statman plays clarinet,as does Elisa.
    Last edited by V70416; Mar-29-2017 at 2:54pm.

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    Default Re: Article: Rising Brazilian Mandolinist Elisa Meyer

    Noting the one-year anniversary of this marvelous interview put together for us by Dan Beimborn!

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