Home  |  Hi-Fi Audio Reviews  Audiophile Shows Partner Mags  News       

 

 

Enjoy the Music.com Review Magazine

Mike Compton & David Long
Stomp

Review By Steven Stone
Click here to e-mail reviewer

 

CD Number: Acoustic Disc ACD-63 

 

  The expression "a mandolin player's mandolin player" comes to mind whenever I think of Mike Compton. He's not as high profile as Chris Thile or Ricky Skaggs, but to mandolin cognoscenti, especially those into "Monroe style" playing, Compton is the man. On Stomp Compton collaborates with David Long, a young player who has developed an equally traditional and mature style.

The central idea behind Stomp was to explore the "pre-bluegrass" mandolin styles of early rural Southern players, but instead of playing only traditional early tunes Stomp contains original songs, traditional tunes, and obscure Monroe numbers. The original tunes include Compton's "Blacks' Run," "Big Indian Blues,' and "Stomp" plus Long's "January Nightmare," and the Compton-Long composition "Centipede Hop." Monroe songs include "Evening Blues Prayer," Ashland Breakdown," "Old Mountaineer," and "Tanyards." Traditional tunes include "Mississippi Bound," The Old Ark's a Movin'," "How DO You Want It Done," "Vicksburg Stomp," "Standing on Jesus," "Sweet Lizzie," and "Prison Blues."

In addition to mandolin Compton plays octave mandola, guitar, and octave banjo. This last instrument, which Compton (and most other players) had never seen before, was in producer David Grisman's personal collection. On his song "Black's Run" Compton combined this special banjo with several more conventional instruments to create a funky texture that is the epitome of  "old timey" sound.  David Long's mandolin playing on his own composition "January Nightmare" also captures a pre-bluegrass vibe primarily due to his careful use of slides and hammer-on ornamentations to give his attack a slightly ragged edge.

Recorded and produced by David Grisman in his Dawg Studios, Stomp captures the subtle details of Compton and Long's playing along with the complex tones of their instruments. On the first cut, "Evening Prayer Blues" you can hear how different Compton's Gilchrist oval hole F-4 sounds from Long's Gilchrist F-hole F-5. Grisman places his microphones close enough to capture each instrument's unique voice, but still preserve some of the room's natural acoustics. The sonic results are stunningly real and compelling.

Stomp makes a strong point for the art of simple music making. All you really need is a couple of great players and a sympathetic recording engineer, and the rest takes care of itself.

 

 

Enjoyment:

Sound Quality:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

Quick Links


Premium Audio Review Magazine
High-End Audiophile Equipment Reviews

 

Equipment Review Archives
Turntables, Cartridges, Etc
Digital Source
Do It Yourself (DIY)
Preamplifiers
Amplifiers
Cables, Wires, Etc
Loudspeakers/ Monitors
Headphones, IEMs, Tweaks, Etc
Superior Audio Gear Reviews

 

 


Show Reports
HIGH END Munich 2024
AXPONA 2024 Show Report
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Report

Southwest Audio Fest 2024
Florida Intl. Audio Expo 2024
Capital Audiofest 2023 Report
Toronto Audiofest 2023 Report
UK Audio Show 2023 Report
Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Report
T.H.E. Show 2023 Report
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2023 Report
...More Show Reports

 

Videos
Our Featured Videos

 


Industry & Music News

High-Performance Audio & Music News

 

Partner Print Magazines
audioXpress
Australian Hi-Fi Magazine
hi-fi+ Magazine
Sound Practices
VALVE Magazine

 

For The Press & Industry
About Us
Press Releases
Official Site Graphics

 

 

 

     

Home   |   Hi-Fi Audio Reviews   |   News   |   Press Releases   |   About Us   |   Contact Us

 

All contents copyright©  1995 - 2024  Enjoy the Music.com®
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.  All rights reserved.