Marilynn on Mandolin #36 ~ Nov/Dec 2009

By Marilynn | Published: December 8, 2009

MEU BANDOLIM IS HERE! ~ My new all-Brazilian CD is finally out, and is everything I hoped for. With great performances by Luiz Simas, Arismar do Espirito Santos, Vinicius Dorin, Rogerio Boccato, and Água no Feijão, the CD features music written by bandolimists, including Jacob do Bandolim, Luperce Miranda, Joel Nascimento, and me.

It’s a completely new recorded sound for me, playing w/ brasileiros, and saxophones, and percussion, and is a cool snapshot of what I’ve been doing in Rio for the past 3 years. Check it out! You can order from Elderly or, until my webpage is back running at full speed, by sending $18 ($15 + $3 shipping) directly through Paypal to: email hidden; JavaScript is required, along with your mailing address. Or order in bulk for the gift-giving season…

CD HOLIDAY SALE: 9 for $99 ~ The economy is recovering, but if it hasn’t got you in the holiday mood yet, here’s a sale for mandolin lovers, and those who want to give a unique present.

You can select any 9 of my CDs, including the new ones– “Meu Bandolim,” and Enigmatica’s “The Blue House” — for only $99, and I’ll mail them to you for free.
You can order in a couple of ways:

You can send $99 through Paypal to my email—email hidden; JavaScript is required– with a list of the 9 CDs you want and your mailing address. Or you can send a check for $99 to me @ 52 Sheldon Street, Providence RI 02906.

There’s 12 different CDs to choose from, including the holiday favorite, “The Sounding Joy.” Check out the other titles on my webpage: /cds.shtml Mix and match any combination—I’ll send them out within 24 hours of receiving your order. Offer good until December 21st. Happy Holidays!

OCTOBER MUSIC ~ So much music last month, and all of it good! The month started with a performance of Will Ayton’s music for the official opening of RWU’s Global Heritage Hall by our Faculty Trio, with Will on viola da gamba and Catherine Hawkes on recorders.Then the “October String Fest” drew a full house @ RWU, mixing classical, Cajun, Brazilian, & bluegrass to the delight of all. Calls for “1st annual” abounded.

CMSA in Dayton was absolutely terrific, from the Teachers’ Workshop through the concerts, seminars, and the showing of my “Rio Luz” DVD. Bob Martel’s music shone in our duo’s classical concert, and the Brazilian concert featured my new choro, and marked the official debut of my new Brazilian CD.

November began with the opening concert of the fourth season of my “Live/Whirled Series” at Perishable Theatre. “String-Whirled” featured the music of Will Ayton and Robert N. Martel for plucked strings, performed with flare by a host of musicians including Enigmatica, Normand DeCelles, and the composers themselves. It was such a cheerful event, and ended with a play-along of 3 of Will’s English folksongs. A perfect start to the new season.

LIVE/WHIRLED CONTINUES ~ On Sunday, December 6, “Solstice-Whirled” will grace Perishable Theatre, featuring the lovely and multi-talented Daltons: Maggi Smith-Dalton on voice and guitar, & Jim Dalton on pretty much anything that can be plucked. Songs and stories of the season will be performed, and for the interactive “Act 2” the audience will join in to singtraditional carols. The concert starts @ 5:00 PM, and Perishable is located at 95 Empire Street in downtown Providence. Tickets, $10/$8 students & seniors, are available in advance from ArtTix @ www.arttixri.com, or by calling 401-621-6123, or at the door.

AMGuSS RETURNS IN FEBRUARY~ The American Mandolin & Guitar Suitcase Seminars presents an orchestra winter weekend, February 26-28, 2010, on the campus of Roger Williams University. Workshops on musical form and technique will combine with orchestra rehearsals and sectionals, and culminate in a public concert by the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra on Sunday afternoon. Join us for a fun weekend dedicated to the fine art of playing in a conducted ensemble of plucked strings. Email Ralph Costanza @ email hidden; JavaScript is required for moreinformation. Tuition is $100 for the weekend, and options for room & board will be available at the start of the year.

CELEBRATING A YEAR ~ continues with villanelle and rondeau and daily observations and photos of life and all its foibles. Check it out! http://mairmusic.wordpress.com/

The next issue of “MARILYNN ON MANDOLIN” will be out in January, and will be coming to you from sunny Rio. Yes, I am returning to my 2nd home right after Christmas and I can hardly wait! Enjoy the holidays with those you love, and keep your mandolin warm these chilly days with some hot picking!

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  • “A sparkling concert… absolutely brilliant!”

    – Guitar Magazine (England)

    Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time.

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair lives up to her reputation as an excellent mandolinist, with clear tone, a beautiful tremolo, and creative expressiveness.”

    – Zupfmusik Magazin (Germany)

    “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…”

    – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair acquits herself very well indeed, a most accomplished player, able to deal with the many intricacies the repertoire demands of her.”

    – Chris Kilvington, Classical Guitar (England)

    “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.”

    – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.”

    – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity… It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.”

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.”
    – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    Marilynn Mair on mandolin…touches the deepest and most engaging reaches of the ancient and passionate ‘Latin soul’.

    – Carlos Agudelo, Billboard Magazine

    “A brilliant concert from beginning to end…The performance was extraordinary.”
    – La Rioja (Spain)

    “The final repeat of the melody transmitted a strong feeling of peace and tenderness that escaped no one in the audience. It is this sensitivity and subtleness that characterized the overall performance.”

    – Brian Hodel, Guitar Review (USA)

    “Mair is unstoppable… capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.”

    – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita”

    — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.”

    – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.”

    — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    “A lovely concert! We estimate your spell-bound and enthusiastic audience at close to 1800 people…”

    – Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors (USA)