Music - September 2010
Acoustic Mandolin
Hillbilly Chamber Music
Don Grieser
Play "Lamas in the Forest"
from Hillbilly Chamber Music
Story by Emily Drabanski
Its title might seem an oxymoron, but on Hillbilly Chamber Music Don Grieser has put together a successful and delightful combination of elements of bluegrass and the textures of classical chamber music. The album will appeal to those who enjoy the music of David Grisman, a master at combining musical genres who created what he calls Dawg grass, which combines elements of bluegrass and jazz.
Grieser plays five different types of mandolin on this solo album. Complementing his sound on standard mandolin are his performances on the mandola (a variant of the mandolin that is what the viola is to violin) and the mandocello (think cello, bluegrass-style). His careful blending of these instrumental voices gives the CD the colorful richness of an ensemble.
Grieser lives in Pine Hill, between Grants and Zuni Pueblo near El Morro National Monument, where he often performs, and plays bluegrass in Albuquerque with the band Sons of Others. By day, he works as the systems manager at the Pine Hills School District on the Navajo Nation.
Grieser was first drawn to music as a youngster, when he played piano. At 12, he picked up the guitar. “Then, when I turned 40, I fell in love with the mandolin and have played it for the past 14 years,” he says. “For me, playing the mandolin is fun like driving a sports car. Now, playing a guitar feels like I’m driving a big Mack truck. That’s more work than fun.”
For a collection of mandolin instrumentals, Hillbilly Chamber Music boasts a surprising diversity of moods. “On the Horizon” has a rich full sound, such as those used in movie soundtracks. “That song was truly inspired by the landscape here, and how far on the horizon you can actually see,” Grieser says.
“Mandola Mandala” has a melody reminiscent of the old Shaker tune “Simple Gifts,” while “Lamas in the Forest” sounds more like older bluegrass fiddle tunes, and Grieser’s “Canyon Waltz” will have you gliding with your sweetheart across the floor. Those itching for a real hillbilly jam will be drawn to “Hill Country.”
Grieser plans to perform in the fall at El Morro National Monument. Check for special events at http://www.nps.gov/elmo/index.htm.
