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Thread: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

  1. #1
    Troy Shellhamer 9lbShellhamer's Avatar
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    Default If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    In a world where I could only pick one player to listen to for the rest of my short time here...

    It's taken a few years to come to this answer... It'd be The Dawg.

    I would dearly miss others that I love; the entire Thile discography, the style and flare of Jimmy Gaudreau, those early Sam Bush breaks with NGR, The mastery of Monroe defining a genre, Ricky Skaggs fusing new and old styles with such great tone, and more.

    But I think the Dawg would be my pick.

    It'd give a thorough discography of multiple genre's and stylistic elements...

    Carry on. I'm just thinking aloud.
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    Registered User Kris N's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player To Listen To.

    I'd have to wholeheartedly agree, Troy! Dawg embodies so many different styles of music and playing, that really he covers just about it all for me.
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    Troy Shellhamer 9lbShellhamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    I want to incorporate many elements into my own playing... I love the DUDU crosspicking that Thile and the new generation are really perfecting, I love the power and rhythm of Monroe, I love the way Tim O'Brien slides into the melody on his tasteful breaks.

    I think Dawg really incorporates so many of these elements, he can really do so many things on this little instrument. I love his versatility.
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    For me it would be John Reischman. I would love to be able to play like him. Like Dawg, he can play many different styles of music. And he is a very nice person on top of it.

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Second John Reischman.
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Emory Lester...I take lessons from Emory and am constantly amazed at his playing, interpretation of others' works, and his own original music. He too is a very nice person who is extremely generous with his time and effort when it comes to teaching be it Skype, in-person, or at the various camps he attends.

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Will Patton. Effortless phrasing, true to the chord, and extremely creative.
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    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Ahh...the hypothetical taste question, to wit everyone's taste is different, no good & bad just different!

    My taste would be Monroe because not only his playing but I'd get the wealth of his song catalogue, alot of which is his original songwriting...YMMV
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Mike Marshall
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Hard and easy at the same time. I pick Jethro, with about fifty players tied for second.

    Jerry M.

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    Troy Shellhamer 9lbShellhamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Quote Originally Posted by DataNick View Post
    Ahh...the hypothetical taste question, to wit everyone's taste is different, no good & bad just different!

    My taste would be Monroe because not only his playing but I'd get the wealth of his song catalogue, alot of which is his original songwriting...YMMV
    Definitely no rights or wrongs. It really shows what we individually like and value, be it mastery of one very specific skillset, like mastering Monroe style, or being able to do a little of everything, etc.

    It's just fun to get ideas, like I know I need to listen to more Reischman! (and Will Patton!)

    I definitely love Monroe Style, and really enjoy studying him straight from the source... (His own breaks, etc.) But also love these other guys! Finding what their trademarks are, etc. I'm finding crosspicking in the Thile style very challenging, but the new kids rising up are nailing it! (as proven by the Mandolin Monday videos. I'd like to add that style to my pallet to pull from.)

    I guess since I like many different styles that's why I gravitate towards Grisman, and why I dig what Matt Flinner does... shifting from one style to another. Studying so many different musicians, even if mando isn't their main instrument.

    Monroe gets my favorite catalog vote! (In terms of writing! It's incredible.)
    Last edited by 9lbShellhamer; Mar-09-2017 at 1:13pm.
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    I think players who play in many genres have an advantage here. I'd go Mike Marshall
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Matt Flinner. ( Don Stiernberg a very close second...)
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    For me, it’s The Dawg.
    Since his days with the Even Dozen Jug Band in the early 1960s, David Grisman has influenced my knowledge and understanding of the world of acoustic music. He’s introduced me to so many styles of music and so many top-flight musicians. He’s helped me recognize the depth, breadth, and versatility of the mandolin family of instruments. And he’s given me a greater appreciation of how and why other instruments combine in song. He’s shown me a history of music, has given me glimpses of the future of music, and all the while stayed grounded in the present.
    Yeah, The Dawg rules.

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    I don't see how any answer is possible. I think a good musician needs to be constantly exposed to a diverse range of influences, or risks becoming an "also" "in the style of" player. (One translation for "in the style of" is "not as good as".)

    No problem following any artist, its the excluding the others that is musically unhealthy. IMO.

    So, which artist are you determined to be not as good as?
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    That said, I might be able to pick one or two from each genre of music as being the best example of what the mandolin can do in that genre. Something like that.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Troy Shellhamer 9lbShellhamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I don't see how any answer is possible. I think a good musician needs to be constantly exposed to a diverse range of influences, or risks becoming an "also" "in the style of" player. (One translation for "in the style of" is "not as good as".)

    No problem following any artist, its the excluding the others that is musically unhealthy. IMO.

    So, which artist are you determined to be not as good as?
    Right.

    I agree that to be a good musician you need to study many different supreme examples. To study Dawg, I want to study Monroe in depth, I want to study Django, Grapelli, in depth, I want to study those mentors who shaped him.

    To study Thile; I want to study Dawg, I want to study Monroe, I want to study Mark O'Connor, etc etc etc
    McReynolds fits in here somewhere...

    Mike Compton however... He's pretty much NAILING the Monroe discipline, and in doing that, he's studying those forces which shaped Monroe. I'm sure he's quite happy with what he's doing, and he's quite respected.
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I don't see how any answer is possible. I think a good musician needs to be constantly exposed to a diverse range of influences, or risks becoming an "also" "in the style of" player. (One translation for "in the style of" is "not as good as".)

    No problem following any artist, its the excluding the others that is musically unhealthy. IMO.

    So, which artist are you determined to be not as good as?
    Here's another perspective - check out Kess's, 8 posts down https://thesession.org/discussions/40460

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Quote Originally Posted by catmandu2 View Post
    Here's another perspective - check out Kess's, 8 posts down https://thesession.org/discussions/40460
    That works within a genre I agree.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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    funny....

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Or in other words "Steal from the best. Then make it your own"
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  38. #21

    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Myself.

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  40. #22

    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    A different take-

    The problem word for me here is "player". It sort of places the emphasis on technique. In this context, the best "players" aren't always those with enough breadth to be interesting exclusively. If I had to limit myself to listening to one artist it would more likely be someone who has already demonstrated a huge range of musicality-- preferably writing original material, as well as performing standards. Also, that person should be relatively young, and still actively producing new stuff....

    With all that in mind, I'd probably go with one of the new young songwriters with a demonstrated mastery on the mandolin.

    Sarah Jarosz comes to mind....

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  42. #23
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Quote Originally Posted by Franc Homier Lieu View Post
    Myself.
    I agree with that for a bunch of reasons.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    Myself.
    You beat me to it. If I couldn't listen to myself, I wouldn't be playing. And as much as there are a gazillion better players, I would take the ability to play over listening to others. In any event, it seems like a good way to dodge an impossible question.
    Bobby Bill

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    Default Re: If I Could Only Listen To One Player.

    But if I had to pick someone besides myself, I've got to go with Jethro. Because he puts a big old smile on my face every time.
    Bobby Bill

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