Jimmy Gaudreau has a new CD from Goose Creek Music, entitled Pieces and Bits. It’s just what the title suggests – recordings of all manner of mandolin music featuring Jimmy with a who’s who of acoustic instrumental all-stars. The tunes are all his, and cover the many styles in which Jimmy has worked over the years.
Tracks range from solo mandolin to duets and small group settings including Mike Auldridge, Richard Bennett, Wyatt Rice, Rickie Simpkins, Mark Schatz, Frank Vignola, Jens Kruger, Emory Lester and more. Gaudreau adds parts on mandolin, octave mandolin, mandolin and bouzouki.
The wide range of styles and feels is an organic offshoot of the way Jimmy makes up these tunes. From the liner notes:
“Every piece and bit is a result of noodling, which in my case means picking up a mandolin when I’m watching late-night television and mindlessly playing rhythms and notes in whatever key I initially land. I’ve never deliberately set out to write a tune, and because I don’t read or write music or immediately record ideas, I rely on my instinct and memory when I hit on something which ‘speaks to me.’ I’d speculate that’s the way most of our folk and bluegrass ancestors did it, sans the TV of course.”
You can listen to all the music online, where you can also purchase tracks or the whole project for download.
Another piece and bit of news from Goose Creek Music… Jimmy and Moondi Klein are back at work finishing a follow-up duet project for their popular 2:10 Train album.
No word yet on when that may drop, but we’ll be on the lookout.
