What are your favorite albums featuring mandolin?

[Pittsburgh Bill]

I have many that are amongst my favorites. The genre of music I most currently enjoy playing and listening to is 40’s and 50’s country & honkey tonk and I try to listen to all the great mandolin artists.
But, the one album that first inspired me to want to learn mandolin and the one I can and do listen to most is:
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman Acoustic 1991

[Oregon Jim]

Glad you asked, for two reasons:

1. I have wondered this too and will eagerly await responses.

2. I never get tired of recommending John Hiatt. His album "Crossing Muddy Waters" is just all-around great. The title track is a good representation of the record if someone wants to just get a taste. And most, if not all, the tracks are heavy on mandolin. "Gone" and "God's Golden Eyes" are also outstanding tracks.

Jim

[Mandobart]

I heard the band "Milkdrive" a few years ago live at my neighborhood Thai place. They just blew me away with an awesome rock/ newgrass/jazz sound. I don't think they're together anymore, and they only put out 4 albums but I would highly recommend any of them for great mando and fiddle.

[Charles E.]

A few years ago my wife and I were down sizing in preparation for a move and we sold 99.9% of our LPs. I got rid of all the old time stringband, David Grisman, Jethro, Bob Wills, etc, etc.
The one recording I keep going back to is from some friends in VA, the Mando Mafia, "Take Two". Lots of nice tunes.

[mingusb1]

I too love classic country and honky tonk. I mostly play that on doghouse bass, but for great mandolin recordings I always recommend Bela Fleck's 1987 recording "Drive". Sam's playing on there is as good as it gets I think. Timing, tone, attack, phrasing, everything about it. It has things that I don't hear in the younger hotshot pickers. The whole record and lineup is excellent, and I love Stuart's fiddle playing on it too.

Sam's break on Slipstream is great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmCd...0Z7Y_M&index=2

And the fiddle/mandolin twinning on Down in the Swamp is so good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d6l...0Z7Y_M&index=8

Cheers,
Z

[lflngpicker]

Anything by Bill Monroe but otherwise, “Tides of a Teardrop” by Mandolin Orange.

[AlanN]

Speaking of Sideman Sam, this break off Berserkely (Markology, 1979) has thrilled for decades, so much so that I had John McGann work his transcription magic on it.

[Northwest Steve]

Well if you like mandolin I can't see how you could not like John Reischman.
- up in the woods
- The Harmonic Tone Revealers - with John, Sharon Gilchrest and Scott Nygard
- Matt Flinner Trio

If you are looking for something different (jazz) - Jethro Burns and Don Stiernberg

There are many great players, unfortunately they just fly under the radar.

[Chompa]

Mandolin Magic - Evan Marshall (1990)

[CBFrench]

I've only been playing mandolin about a year at best, guitar since I was 10. I've never been stuck on one genre or artist. Mandolin wise I much prefer listening to those that push the envelope and don't see or hear the mandolin as a one genre instrument and those are the players I prefer. So if it's traditional, blues, country, western swing, cajun, jazz etc etc I just love music, good music.

[Steve 2E]

Led Zeppelin IV
R.E.M. Green
Garcia/Grisman
Cowboy Junkies The Caution Horses
David Grisman Quintet(first album)
Bill Monroe and Doc Watson /Live Recordings 1963-1980
Butch Baldassari, John Reischman & Robin Bullock/Travellers
The Blue Sky Boys
Jim & Jesse The All Time Great Country Instrumentals

These are just a few off the top of my head.

[Kevin Winn]

Anything Andrew Marlin plays on, but especially Mandolin Orange's 'Such Jubilee' album, and Andrew's solo effort 'Buried In A Cape'

Also, Sam Bush on any Doc Watson recording, especially 'Ridin The Midnight Train'

[Murphy Slaw]

Muleskinner;

"A potpourri of bluegrass jam."

[guitarpath]

Dave Peters "Art In America". A work of genius.

[Mando Mort]

Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
R.E.M. - Out of Time
Any by The Bluegrass Album Band

[tmsweeney]

Interesting choices so far, there are too many to list, I concur with mingusb1 that Fleck's "Drive" is just a classic 2nd Generation Bluegrass Album but I wouldn't really call it an album featuring mandolin.
The first DGQ album is always at the forefront of these discussions, and rightfully so, I actually was introduced to Grisman by the David Grisman Rounder Album, not as slick as the DGQ but a great mandolin album none the less, and the cover with the blonde F4 hanging on the statue of an angel, did a lot to promote the "eye candy" concept of mandolin craft.
I of course have to give my 2 cents on the Rising Fawn String Ensemble's "Original Underground Music from the Mysterious South" (well documented on this forum- and let's not forget Rising Fawn's "Full Moon on the Farm" with a lot of great mando playing by both Norman and Nancy Blake) as well as Ostroushko's very similar sounding "Sluz Duz Music" ( Peter was a huge part of Mysterious South). Speaking of Ostroushko "The Mando Boys" was one of the original Mandolin Quartet albums- including big band jazz, traditional, Eastern European and some mandolin orchestra style pieces. Of course the first Modern Mandolin Quartet album is one that never gets old for me, and I recently downloaded Mike Marshall's "Gatorstrut" which IMHO is right up there with the First DGQ album. The Mike Marshall -Darol Anger "The Duo" album was the first time I heard an Octave mandolin - Mandocello duet.
"Dawg 90" is another of my favorites, "Short Trip Home" - a Joshua Bell- Edger Meyer project with Mike Marshall on Guitar ( mandolin on some tracks) and Sam Bush with never previously heard mandolin rhythms is another of my favorites. I agree with Northwest Steve about Reischman, "Walk Along John" being one of my favorites, his playing on The Tony Rice Unit's "Backwaters" is exceptional and I think influenced a lot of today's hot pickers. Joe Weed's "Waltz of the Whippoorwill" if you haven't heard it you should.
Matt Flinner's "The View from Here" is another one that I find myself always liking when it comes around on the random playlist.
There are a lot more, the list is just too long.

[Drew Egerton]

Manzanita - Tony Rice
Anything Grisman
Gator Strut - Mike Marshall
Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza - This is a who's who of the earlier generation of pickers. ALL mando except Del on rhythm.
In the Blue Room - Alan Bibey
Back to Back - Tiny Moore and Jethro Burns
Swing 220 - Don Stiernberg
Into the Cauldron - Mike Marshall & Chris Thile
Mandolin Master of Brazil Original Class Recordings - Jacob do Bandolim
Third Journey - Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg
Da Capo - Mike Marshall and Darol Anger
Mandolin Duets - Casey Campbell

[Hubs]

It may sound a little peculiar, but I like Brian Oberlin's "Solo Mandolin Christmas" a lot. All through the year, except round christmas, when the tunes are omnipresent on every radiostation, in supermarkets, .....

[Dave Bradford]

In addition to some others already mentioned, I enjoy listening to Will Patton. A good one to start with is “Latitudes and Departures” which includes a nice variety of different types of music.

[Tom Morse]

There are, of course, so many to choose from. But what came first to mind for me are:

1. David Grisman Quintet - I bought my first mandolin immediately after hearing this debut classic.
2. Back to Back - Jethro Burns, Tiny Moore, and a little bit of the Dawg. Jazz, American Song Book really, but a must-listen mandolin album IMHO.
3. Little Worlds - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. An outlier, I know, but Chris Thile's playing on cuts 8, 9, and 16 is spellbinding. And you get Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Jake Shimabukuro, Derek Trucks, and more to boot.

[mbruno]

Three I didn't see above:

June Apple - Tim Connell and Eric Skye. Great duo and fresh arrangements

GOAT Rodeo's new album (This Ain't Our First) is also great (so is their first album).

Borderland by Joe K Walsh also is fantastic and edgy as far as bluegrass-ish edge goes haha

[mandopops]

Back to Back-Jethro & Tiny. Great pairing of Jazz Mandolins, great rhythm section, great tune selection.
I Can’t Keep my Foot from Jumping-Johnny Young. Solid Chicago Blues featuring Mandolin.
Mandolino-The San Domenico Barbers of Taormina. Exquisite.
Bobby & his Mandolin-Bobby Osborne. Fluid & relaxed fiddle tune playing. Trad & original tunes
The David Grisman Quintet-David Grisman Quintet. Fresh & exciting, every note counts-no showing off, superb.
Joe B

[Jon Hall]

I have a lot of favorites but at the top is Chris Thile's Bach: Sonatas and Partitas.

[farmerjones]

Mike Compton, Rotten Taters
Garcia/Grisman
Nickel Creek's 1st album

[Rush Burkhardt]

+1 for Mandolin Duets - Casey Campbell...diverse sampling of mando styles (granted: leans toward Bluegrass; but...only instrumental duets!)
Didn't see Sierra Hull mentioned... perhaps Weighted Mind in my opinion her mandolin work puts her in a class with very few others...and very diverse musical styles (You might disqualify her because they're not pure instrumental.)
Also didn't see Adam Steffey...Here to Stay, American Primitive...also consideration in the top group