Into the Cauldron (2003)

About this title: On Into the Cauldron, mandolinists Mike Marshall and Chris Thile weave a vision of stunning precision. Both are extremely articulate players, and their instruments wrap around each other, each note sounding clearly and beautifully. In terms of material, the album is fairly typical post-David Grisman/Béla Fleck fare -- a mix of genre-spliced original material, jazz standards ("Scrapple from the Apple"), classical arrangements ("The Goldberg Variations [Var. #1]"), and world influences ("Desvairada"). The duo excels in their arrangements, using two mandolins (and, sometimes, a mandolin and ... read more

Tracks:

1. Harvest Time [Marshall]
2. Desvairada [Garoto]
3. J.S. Bach: The Goldberg Variations, Var. No. 1
4. Scrapple from the Apple [Parker]
5. Fisher's Hornpipe [Traditional]
6. Stranded in Kodiak [Thile]
7. The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers [Kuhn]
8. Hey Ho! [Marshall]
9. Something Quite Trifling [Thile/Marshall]
10. What a Blast! [Thile/Marshall]
11. Shamrock Shore [Traditional]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.