Spiral Moons Live: Kuumbwa Jazz Club
Mark O'Connor - first mandolin
Tim Ware - second mandolin
Darol Anger - mandola
Mike Marshall - mandocello
This was recorded at the Kuumbwa Jazz Club in Santa Cruz, CA, on August
18, 1980. The Tim Ware Group did a double bill with Darol Anger, Mike
Marshall and Mark O'Connor. To transition between the two sets, we
performed Spiral Moons, the mandolin quartet I wrote for our first album, The
Tim Ware Group (Kaleidoscope F-13). Mike played mandocello, Darol played
mandola, Mark played the first mandolin part (the first mandolin heard in the
piece), and I played second mandolin. Although Mike and Darol had played on
the original recording, Mark had only seen the music that same day and,
amazingly, learned it within, it seemed, minutes. What makes this even more
amazing is the fact that when we performed the piece at the Great American
Music Hall, several months earlier, Mark had played the mandocello part and
had learned it just as quickly. Among great players, he is extraordinary.
For this performance we only rehearsed that day at Kuumbwa and,
considering the precision and the fact that the piece is through-composed
(no improvisation), we did quite well. (The wheels wobble just once, but we
regain control...)
Tim Ware