The mandolin is an interesting instrument with an interesting history. Though some may associate its gentle 8-string tones with mobster flicks and the music of the 1920s, for us there’s no question—the mandolin is the backbone of bluegrass! Bill Monroe and other first-generation legends like Jesse McReynold’s championed the use of the mandolin, cementing the off-beat chop of the mandolin as a requirement for true bluegrass. Once second-generation innovators like David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs got their hands on the mandolin, things really took off—and today’s masters like Sierra Hull and Frank Solivan continue to prove the mandolin is an instrument with no equal. Enjoy this playlist of the masters of the mandolin!
