Thursday, April 17, 2008

Mandomonium

Our friend Sarah Jarosz played on local TV, click on the pic to watch in a new window. We first saw her in 2004, at the Old Settler's Music Festival, and she was about 13 playing traditional bluegrass music with her family band. She'd also cover a lot of Chris Thile tunes from his first 2 solo albums he made when he was 13 and 16 (if you are a mandolin lover, get those!! he's not just good for a kid. He was great, even back then, and he wrote most of the songs he recorded on those) (sorry... Chris Thile = {gush}... my #1 mandolin hero). Anyway we got acquainted with her and her parents in waiting lines for Nickel Creek shows and others. Hardcore fans tend to get acquainted. Anyway, she has grown musically so much over the years, she's got an amazing voice and is writing beautiful songs. She's shared the stage with a very long list of the finest acoustic musicians including every mandolin god you can think of.

We haven't been to The Old Settler's Music Festival (our little mostly-bluegrass event) for a few years now. It's a little pricey for us these days. But I am headed out the door in a few minutes for Waterloo Records where there will be a free in-store performance by the Waybacks. Then we will get to see Sarah when she opens for some more friends, The Greencards, on May 9th at Threadgill's. Looking forward to that show. Two days after that, there will be the Second Annual Mandolin Mayhem (I think also at Threadgill's... last year it was at Mother Egan's), featuring three great players: Kym Warner of the 'Cards, Dennis Ludiker (of South Austin Jug Band), Sarah, and maybe some guests.

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2 comments:

Mando Mama said...

That sounds like heaven, if there is such a place. Sara J is one of those people like Thile or young Sierra Hull who picked up their instrument not at birth but some point rather downt the road, and it just clicked. And mando is so tricky; with eight strings and all that down-up commotion it's very hard to get a clean, even sound. These kids are the Joshua Bells of the bluegrass world.

Blueberry said...

She has got a really bright future, and such a nice kid (at 16-17, is she still a kid?) and her family is great. Big music lovers and supporters of her gift.

Warren Hood is another one. Saw him yesterday with the Waybacks. He's been playing (mostly fiddle but mandolin too) since the instruments were bigger than him, and his father was the great Champ Hood -- local legend, member of Uncle Walt's Band, and member of Lyle Lovett's band for awhile.

I'd say it's a combo of nature and nurture... kind of like most smarts.