Mike Marshall, David Grier & Todd Phillips
Saturday night, August 2, 2008
See bottom of page to purchase tickets. (We now sell tickets in advance instead of taking RSVPs.)
It's been over three years since mandolinist Mike Marshall appeared at the Rog Mahal with his ensemble Choro Famoso. I remember it being one of the finest concerts I'd seen and the night I became a big fan of Mike and his extraordinary musicianship. Then I learned that Choro Famoso represented just one side of Mike's talents, and that he has a number of ensembles in different musicial styles...
So I was particularly pleased that Mike consented to return to the Rog Mahal, this time with guitarist David Grier and bassist/mandolinist Todd Phillips, collectively comprising 3/5 of the bluegrass-inspired quintet Psychograss. Though rooted in the contemporary Bluegrass genre, the trio's music incorporates elements from folk, jazz and classical music to Latin-American rhythms and pop tunes. Their music is beautiful, virtuosic, evocative, intelligent, fun, often amazingly difficult to play and a magical expression of this essentially American art form. Take a listen: |
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Here's a little background on the three extraordinary musicians you'll be hearing:
Mike Marshall is considered one of the top 4 living mandolinists in the world today, and his playing is as imaginative and adventurous as it is technically thrilling. He was invited to join the David Grisman Quintet at 19, has recorded or performed with violin masters Stephan Grappelli, Joshua Bell and Mark O'Connor, and banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to name a few. With his former band Montreux, he produced five successful CDs on Windham Hill and toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan to high critical acclaim. Next he founded the Modern Mandolin Quartet, producing four Windham Hill CDs that showcase the mando in a classical setting. He's performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Grammy Awards and San Francisco's own Herbst theater. And if you're an NPR listener, you'll hear Mike on the themes for "Car Talk" and "Forum".
Todd Phillips is a founding member of the David Grisman Quintet, Tony Rice's The Bluegrass Album Band, the Montreux Band, and Psychograss. He has participated in many of the most crucial new acoustic music recordings as a mandolinist or bassist and also, as bassist, in many of the best bluegrass projects of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, appearing in over fifty recordings ranging from bluegrass through new acoustic music to jazz. He has made a career as a producer of his own and other albums, such as his In The Pines, the jazz-inflected Time Frame and an all-star tribute to Bill Monroe, True Life Blues, for which he won a Grammy Award. He currently is producing and playing with the Phillips/Grier/Flinner project, with 3 releases on the Compass label.
David Grier is the latest in the line of bluegrass guitar royalty emanating from Doc Watson through Clarence White and Tony Rice. Considered by most bluegrass aficionados to be the greatest living flatpicking guitarist, he emerged into the Nashville scene at an early age, releasing his first solo album (Freewheeling) at 27, to rave reviews from the bluegrass establishment. He has subsequently appeared on scores of important bluegrass albums, worked with nearly every major living bluegrass artist, and further redefined the art of the flatpicked guitar while winning awards such as the National Flatpicking Guitar Championship at Winfield and the IBMA Guitar Player of the Year two years in a row. He has three more solo recordings on Rounder Records and four on his own label.
I'm very pleased to have these 3 virtuosi showcasing the beautiful and delicate interplay of the mandolin, guitar and bass in the intimate setting of the Rog Mahal. This show is one I'm very much looking forward to and I hope you can join us.
When:
Saturday night, August 2, 2008. Here's a schedule:
7:30 pm: Doors open, hang out in the turret overlooking a view of the
San Francisco skyline and, over desserts and a glass of wine, meet others
who value music and ideas.
8:00 - 8:30 pm: Show starts, 1st set
8:30 - 8:50 pm: Intermission, more eat, drink & chat
8:50 - 9:30 pm: 2nd set
9:30 - ?: People often stay a while
Where: At Roger & Ingrid Linn's home at 1147 Keith Avenue in Berkeley. That's in the hills just north of the university.
Cost: $30, including free wine, beverages, desserts & snacks. Click here to purchase tickets by credit card. At the end of the purchase process, please printout the Invoice screen and bring it with you to the show as your ticket. If you have any problems, please feel free to contact us (see below).
Note: We're using the Roger Linn Design online store for ticket purchases, so don't worry if the purchase screens and your email receipt show Roger Linn Design instead of Rog Mahal, and ignore any messages about shipping because there's nothing to ship.
Note: $30 is higher than in the past because we're reducing the audience size in order to make it less crowded without reducing the income for the artists. Also, while we make no profit on these shows, we need to take a little of the ticket price in order to help offset our cost for the wine and desserts that we provide free. On that subject, if you'd care to contribute a bottle of wine, beverage or perhaps a dessert, it would be very helpful. If so, please let us know what you plan to bring .
Questions? If you have any questions or would like to contact us for any other reason, please do so at rl2@rogerlinndesign.com or 510 898-4878.