CD review: Leave Something Unexplained

By Marilynn | Published: July 22, 2008

– Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground… So it is with ‘Leave Something Unexplained’. Mair teams with Adam Larrabee on classical guitar for the title track and the Villa Lobos classic ‘Bachianas Brasilieras’. Both pieces showcase a high level of ensemble playing, dynamics, and overall musicality. But perhaps when Larrabee plays mandocello we hear a more groundbreaking sound. ‘From Tregian’s Ground,’ along with ‘A Waltz for Evelyn Hinrichsen,’ certainly some of the nicest tracks on the CD, reveal a very intimate reading for this under-recorded instrumental format.

‘Carinhoso,’ by Pixinguinha, is an exquisite solo setting that lets us hear Marilynn’s lyricism… while another of Marilynn’s ensembles, Enigmatica, delivers quite a moving rendition of a Bach Adagio (from BWV 1060). Maybe the biggest surprise, and somewhat of a musical departure, is a swingin’ little combo number called ‘East of Here,’ written by Mair… 16 tracks, 50+ minutes of music by a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer… this CD’s a must.

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    • “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…” – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.” – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.” – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    • “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.” — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    • “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.” – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    • “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity…It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.” – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.” – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    • Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time. – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita” — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    • “Mair is unstoppable…capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.” – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)