CD-195 Taylor Baker "Taylor Baker"

This is what the mandolin can do. It is more than bluegrass, or Bill Monroe, and it's influence reaches far beyond the American south. From Italy to Israel, to Russia and Brazil. From Jethro Burns to Jacob Do Bandolim to Dave Apollon. The mandolin gets around. If you want to know where the mandolin has been, and where it is going, you have the right record.

And you have the right tour guide. 16 year-old Taylor Baker is here to show you around, and he knows his stuff. Assisted by master-of-all-trades Danny Knicely on guitar (and mandolin from time to time), young Mr. Baker is prepared to take you sound-hearing through some of the most dazzling musical territory ever heard. Your tour starts with Brazilian "Tico Tico". Then it's off to Italy and Enrico Marucelli's masterpiece "Valtzer Fantastico". The gypsies of Easter Europe are visited in "Hora Romanesca", then it's time for a taste of Brazil and an exquisite performance of Jacob Do Bandolim's "Santa Morena".

However, the mandolin's American heritage has not been ignored. You can get your Monroe fix here, with a mandolin duet of early Monroe classic "Bluegrass Special". There is also a "How'd he do that?" slick take on traditional fiddle tune "Limerock", and Taylor "burns" his way through "Jethro's Tune." A couple of Frank Wakefield's decidedly un-bluegrass compositions are collected here as well. Frank's cross-tuned epic "Sonata No. 3" is captured beautifully here. And the proceedings are appropriately closed with a solo performance of Frank's "Jesus Loves His Mandolin Player No. 3".

There are many great young mandolin players in the world these days, with chops and licks to spare. Few however possess the feeling, the expressiveness, of Taylor Baker. Taylor has collected here for you a sampling of where the mandolin has been. Taylor Baker himself embodies where the mandolin is going. - Joseph Scott