Mandolinist Jesse Cobb has his first solo project, Solitude, set for an official release on November 12. And as the title implies, it is a solo project in the truest sense of the word, featuring Cobb, his mandolin and sometimes his voice alone on all 11 tracks.
Jesse was a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters, but left the band two years ago. He is currently on tour with Noam Pikelny, and had previously filled in with The Gibson Brothers, and served as an instructor at Sore Fingers and the Mandolin Symposium.
For this record, he selected some mando favorites like Big Mon, Grey Eagle and Ashokan Farewell, along with original instrumentals and Jesse’s debut as a singer/songwriter.
All the music for Solitude was recorded live, which Cobb said was exactly the sound he was after.
“I wanted this recording to feel as if we were sitting together in your living room for a private concert. I want the listener to feel the energy of someone just playing the mandolin without any fear or concern, and to convey a carefree attitude from a person who is comfortable letting the little imperfections go and not over analyzing and fixing every little buzz or chair squeak. The album is what it is, live music being made in real time, without any second chances. I also hope my personality, the guy who’s a bit rough around the edges, sentimental and a bit lonely sometimes, with a kind heart and great respect for the gift of music that’s been bestowed upon him, comes through the speakers.
I didn’t necessarily mean for this to be an album. I went in to record some tunes this spring ahead of teaching at the Sore Fingers music camp in the UK. The more I listened and spoke with the engineer, Mark Lalama, the more I became convinced that it would be adventurous to put out such raw, live recordings as a full-on project. I have been working on some full-band tracks and was trying to find a way to incorporate some of these tracks when I decided to let this be a standalone project.”
Though Solitude won’t ship until November 12, it is currently available for download purchase at CD Baby and iTunes. Pre-orders for CDs are enabled online now, and will be delivered when Cobb completes the Pikelny tour. If you have a chance to catch them live, you can pick up a copy of the album at the show.
