Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mike Marshall & Chris Thile: Into the Cauldron

Mike Marshall & Chris Thile: Into the Cauldron

By C. Michael Bailey
May 18, 2003
View read count

Mike Marshall & Chris Thile: Into the Cauldron

While this recording has Mike Marshall’s name on it—and he was an instrumental member of David Grisman’s quartet—the presence of Chris Thile makes Into the Cauldron somewhat of an event. And what an event it is. Recordings like this smack of a single element—virtuosity. Here are two mandolin masters showing off in a duet style using vehicles ranging from Bach’s Goldberg Variations to Charlie Parker’s "Scrapple From the Apple." The quality of the playing makes it sound alien or divinely inspired. The two mandolinists choose a wide variety of musical genres to make their point. Beautiful the Brazilian Baroque "Desvairada" and lyrical "The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers." Lest one thinks the disc devoid of hoe- downs, one must look no further than "Fisher’s Hornpipe."

Of the originals, "Stranded in Kodiac" is the most superb, finding Marshall playing the mandocello. Both players employ string damping to great effect to make this an exciting moment. The disc closes with a harmonic "Shamrock Shore," a piece that shows an clear but unintuitive link between American bluegrass music and traditional Irish music. Into the Cauldron is a beautiful recording—even if these two masters are showing off. More power to them.

Visit Sugar Hill Records , Mike Marshall , and Chris Thile on the web.

Track Listing

Harvest Time; Desvairada; Bach

Personnel

Mike Marshall

Album information

Title: Into the Cauldron | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Sugar Hill Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

On Tour With The Peter Brotzmann Die...
< Previous

Al Plank, 1932-2003
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.