Yeah, I have to agree with the Gibson Brothers. I live about 30 minutes from where they grew up, and have seen them play and talked to them. Really nice group.
Who are your favorite artists to listen to on the mandolin?
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I’ve seen this post a while ago but didn’t really reply to it. I first became interested in the mandolin from seeing Levon Helm play one with The Band. Being a guitar player myself I liked how he used it as a rhythm instrument and not doing all the fancy soloing. Then came Old and In The Way with David Grisman. I was in a music store one day and picked one up out of curiosity and thought ‘this is really cool!’ That’s when i got my MD315!
These days I like Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs, Andrew Marlin from Mandolin Orange. I’ve also enjoyed a lot of A.J. Lee and the Tuttles. I’ve taken lessons online with Matt Flinner, and also been to a couple bluegrass camps where he was teaching.
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Don’t forget Marty Stuart!
I know… How can you when I keep mentioning him in this thread. Also, Adam Steffey, Katie Lou, Tony Rice, Sierra Hall, Ricky, Sam, Chris Thile, David Grisman, Sarah Jarosz, and Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange).
A nod to Bill Monroe, of course… but that is just a given!
Thinking outside the lines a bit: Greensky Bluesgrass’ own… Paul Hoffman
Check out the song, “Living Over”
And for something completely different - check out Jacob do Bandolim… the prominent Brazilian Mandolin Artist of the 1940s, 50s and '60s.
Think Mandolin Samba or Bossa Nova with Mandolin… which as also Chorro.
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Uhh Will,
Tony Rice? Are you checking to see if we’re awake?
And I completely agree with a few of your choices (not all)… We all have different tastes.
Bobby Clark is another superb mandolin player and never gets any recognition. (Williams and Clark Expedition).
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Yup… @jw11,
Probably a bad credit given there by me… but here’s why…
On Spotify, they have a playlist called Picker’s Primer: Mandolin.
There is a tune in this list called New Chance Blues with a credit to Tony Rice and Norman Blake.
Now, as this track was included on a Mandolin Primer… I just presumed the featured artist would be named first… and Tony’s name does appear first.
Since many Guitarists can play Mandolin also, I did presume that Tony was therefore the featured artist… even though there is Guitar on the track with the Mandolin. Admittedly, I am not unfamiliar with Mr. Blake’s abilities.
All I know is… whomever played Mandolin on that track played awesome.
Now, upon closer look, I now noticed it does say the group was Blake & Rice. 
Interesting… as the plot thickens…
So, because of your comment, I went straight to the Absolute Authority… Wikipedia! 
As you already seemed to know… Mr. Rice is listed for Guitar only… whereas, Mr. Blake is listed for Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and several other instruments… a true multi-instrumentalist!
There you have it.
My bad… so thanks for the e-du-ma-kay-shun!
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I like hearing other young players, and more obscure players, like Teo Quale, Danielle Yother, Giri Peters, and Bella Betts. I’ve also found I like the style of Tristan Scroggins and also Ashley Broder.
FWIW, Katy Lou isn’t a mandolin player (although it wouldn’t surprise me if she could be one) it’s Penny Lea
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Thanks Will,
Yes, Mr. Blake is extremely talented in about anything he does!
Interesting story!
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Man, I messed that up too!
Well, it is tougher that they are twins, right? I mean… I thought they were… but Yes, Penny Lea… Is soooo darned good.
Katy Lou is so good at Banjo/Guitar and harmony.
They are fabulous.
I am really struggling with my memory lately. 
You know… Penny Lea is sooo good at Mando, I wanted to pose the question to @BanjoBen…
Even though they are his younger sisters…
I am curious if the three of them feel like who excels at which instrument.
I know that it isn’t a competition… but they are all so accomplished… do they recognize that one is best on Banjo, or Guitar, or Mando.
Then again, as they are true artists… maybe it is more like which style or feel each has on the instruments… like not being able to really compare Miles Davis to Luis Armstrong or Clifford Brown… Or SRV to Buddy Guy…
They are just outstanding in their own way…
Still, if @BanjoBen and the girls had to rank the three of them - each on all three instruments over some beers near the campfire… what would be the consensus?
For me, all 3 were better years ago any any of the 3… than I will EVER be.
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Still @jw11, I should have known… and as I claim to try to be learning Mandolin, I was embarrassed…
Well, we all learn… right? So you know Mr. Blake’s work then?
Again… I rather wish whomever wrote the names would have listened the feature artist (Mandolinist) first… but oh well. Maybe Mr. Rice wrote that song (I didn’t look that up).
Anyway, thank you for setting me straight…
While I’m a bit embarrassed, I like to be corrected so I learn more, @jw11 .
Now I know Mr. Rice is not one of those artists who plays anything other than guitar.
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Don’t be embarassed in any way Will. We’re all in this together helping each other.
Fiddlewood just corrected me on a few things on a post I just started (a take off of what we’re talking about here).
I would rather be corrected in front of other people than to never be corrected at all and continue being wrong all the time. Now that’s embarassing!
Thank You!
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I agree - totally!
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When I was first getting interested in bluegrass, I went to a festival in central Florida in the 1970s and saw Marty Stuart playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. He was a very young kid. I was amazed at his talent !!! And they invited a young local mandolin player to join them on stage for a song or two by the name of Mike Marshall . I was blown away again . I also haven’t seen David Benedict’s name mentioned ! He is awesome too !
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Nick Dumas (formerly of special consensus) is awesome! As are Abby Hartley (purple hulls bassist) and Jacob Burleson
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Alan Bibey will have to be one of my favorite mandolin players. Alan and Grasstown played at the Stokes County Arts Place this weekend and they did a great show. It was kinda a cross between a family and high school reunion with bluegrass on top.
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I’ve seen Marty Stuart in concert a couple of times and each time I wished he would have played his mandolin for more than one song! Marty and his entire band are awesome musicians.
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Of course the legends go without saying.
Ronnie McCoury’s name hasn’t come up enough yet…
These days I can’t get enough of the The Mandolin Chronicles by Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson - man what a duo! Titans of 8 strings. Everything about the songs, arrangements, the tone and the recording are great - however it’s one of those albums that’s so good, if I listen to it too long, all I want to do is burn my gear in a bonfire and chop off my fingers because what’s the point?!? I’m hoping to take a lesson with Alan soon, because I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a real, live instructor in the room - I just hope he has a pause and rewind option.
I came to BG years ago through Garcia and Grisman, so now guys like Paul Hoffman from Greensky and Jacob Jolliff scratch the “jammer” itch for me, 'cuz sometimes you have to tell the BG Police to chill and just let it go, gO, GO…
Andrew Marlin, cuz sometimes it doesn’t have to be 220 BPM…
These days anybody playing a Northfield will always catch my attention.
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Adam Steffey’s work with AKUS was my first initial mandolin head turning moment. Then my wife back then played the first 3rd Time Out disc for me when we were out on a date and so i also have been a fan of Alan Bibey ever since. John Reischman…both his bluegrass and latin/choro stuff is awesome. Sierra Hull, Chris Thile are also favorites.
rc
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i should say my future wife back then played me that cd…We’ve been married since those initial bluegrass dates. ;0)
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Steve Earle
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I like Sam Bush , he gets into it all the way, Rice makes playing the guitar look easy
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