Thile and Clay Hess Hotel Jamming Video from 2000 IBMA

[Josh Levine]

This was just released and is pretttty cool.

[jefflester]

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...-amp-Clay-Hess

[Josh Levine]

ohhhhhh. Guess I’m late to the party as usual.

[Jeff Budz]

I really miss when Thile used to actually shred the heck out of the Mandolin. He was too good too young and now all he wants to do is make ethereal textures and soundscapes.

[Delaware]

I find his “style” and “influence” annoys me in some of the new Nickel Creek album. “Goddamned Saint” and “In The Air” particularly. Not bad songs but not too Nickel Creek . The dissonance and changing of tempos in other songs as well.

[Tom Hart]

The poor guy is a lightning rod for criticism. The bluegrass purists hated his "shredding", now some folks wish he would play MORE notes. And now Nickel Creek isn't Nickel Creek enough? Sometimes, not always, repeated listenings will reward your ears as dissonance and tempo changes won't seem as jarring.
To the original poster, thanks for sharing the clip.

[DavidKOS]

I just like hearing these guys swing.

[Josh Levine]

I’d say the modern Monroe stylists, Compton, McCoury etc tend to float my boat more than Thile, but hard not to be inspired by a young Thile ripping through tunes in a hotel lobby. He’s just a fire hydrant of ideas and chops.

[JeffD]

The poor guy is a lightning rod for criticism.

True. Just thinking about this some...

There is nothing that he does half way or poorly, so any differences we may have with his music are entirely due to taste. Our tastes in music, and his tastes shown in musical and technical choices. So if there is anything I don't like, its because that kind of music or that style is not for me.

My perception is that in the past our musical heros were tied to a type of music. My dad loved Chet Atkins and Django Reinhardt. And when he wanted this kind of music he would listen to this player and that for that. So the love of the genre and the love of the player were connected, and if you didn't listen to Manouche music say, you did not encounter Django Reinhardt.

In Thile we have someone that does it all. It is as if Chet and Django (and perhaps Julian Bream as well) were actually all the same person. So we more likely will see him from time to time in a style of music that we are not enthusiastic about. And have to deal with it. Or appreciate something unfamiliar.

I personally struggle with Chris Thile or Punch Brothers playing Radiohead. And, not surprisingly, I never liked Radiohead.

I would love to hear Thile take on a cool Argentinian tango, something by Astor Piazzolla say. I would love to hear what he would bring to that music.

[CES]

Thanks for posting! That was an hour well spent! Of course, now I kind of feel like I should go start a bonfire with my mandolins and guitars and take up another hobby, but…