Molly's picking and voice are wonderful! Her taste in jackets is too...I still wear the Levi jacket with the lining - identical to hers, though more beat up - that I bought near 40 years ago!
It's so easy to get caught up in her technical prowess, but her feeling and musicality just blows me away. There are a lot of "bluegrass shredders" who can flat pick that well, but they just don't have that SOUND! And then there is her voice! She is the whole package.
God, that right hand... ultimate efficiency, absolute consistency, unconscious perfection in attack, dynamics, change of tempo... music comes from the right hand, and so few of us ever develop it well.
Billder Inbaja, couldn't agree more. I know I focused on my left hand (fiddle player for 30 years, guitar for two weeks, ha!) way too much in the past. Started to focus on the right hand about 3 years ago and that's where it's at.
I just accidentally hit thumb down.. ugh. Don’t know how to take it back, but I did not mean thumbs down. Didn’t mean anything, just accidentally hit the doodad.
Funny how so many of us never realize that for...forever. When I was young I thought my left hand was “good”, better than my right. After about 40 years I realized I didn’t have a clue. As for Molly, her right hand is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. At a glance, it looks like you couldn’t possibly be accurate playing like that. But, she’s flawless! Absolutely flawless and nuanced. And, oh, did I mention fast? But, she so much more than fast, which is all so many bluegrass pickers focus on.
Wonderful presentation, I love seeing these young artists who are so talented, well spoken, and educated! I'm a 1981 Berklee grad and it always makes me happy to see the diverse talents and styles of those folks who went through my alma mater and represent it so well! Molly is a very special talent, an equally great player, singer, and songwriter!!
One of the most gifted and engaging female guitarists on the planet offering some insight into her playing, and at time of writing 14 numpties have given this a ' thumbs down'. You have to despair.
One of the best tips, "keep the melody in your head while crosspicking". Thanks Molly! Really helped me play with a syncopated rhythm while playing "to the melody".
No matter what and how fast she's playing, Molly Tuttle has this rare ability to make it sound and look so smooth, easy and rhythmic, which is a great gift. It's just wonderful and inspiring listening to her.
Now I know why Molly is such a brilliant musician - besides having a HUGE amount of talent, she also has a long musical history. I lived in the Bay Area during the early 1970's, and was into (listening) the local bluegrass scene back then. My friend Brian Baxter had a sister named Dorothy, who played with the "Good Old Persons" - I loved her playing so much! She inspired me to keep at it, because I needed inspiration, not being very talented myself. Brian took me to see her play at a pizza joint in Berkley on his birthday, and she stole my heart. During a break, when he introduced me to her, I asked if she had heard of "Clarence White", who I had seen, or "Tony Rice", and she said "oh sure, I played with Tony before" (and everybody knew about Clarence already). That shut me up about name dropping, then I learned she worked at a guitar repair shop in Fairfax, doing repair work - I was in love. Later I went to a guitar making school, but my health problems precluded me ever becoming a luthier or repair person - now a mere farmer.. I later saw Doc Watson with Merle Watson in Georgetown a few years later, which was one of my lifetimes most memorable experiences - I'll never forget that night. There is something about the honesty of old time country and bluegrass music that captures my heart... Now Molly has stolen my heart too - I love your music Molly! You may be a young woman, but you have a deep soul, and you plow the depths of your beautiful heart to conjure magical healing music for us all. THANKS to you for being such a wonderful person, who generously shares your amazing talent with us all..!
David, What a wonderful story. Yes, Molly was a joy to get to know. I look forward to working with her many more times in the future. Thanks for being part of our guitar family. - Steve
I heard and saw Molly and Friends last Friday in Asheville- moving. I would give anything to play like her, but I wasn't born with her gifts. On a technical level, her speed and precision is "inconceivable", but what catches me is when she takes a bit more time to move into the mood. Thank you, Molly- my life is better because you are here.
She is so incredible and so informative and a joy to listen to. She follows up the interview with "Gentle On My Mind" which was great! Incredible player.
So great to hear Molly appreciate Vern Williams, Kathy Kallick, Laurie Lewis, David Grisman and her dad -- music inspirations from California -- and also Clarence White, Tony Rice, David Grier, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings from outside of California!
Molly is wonderful. It's unusual to find a super-great singer who also is a super-great guitarist, one who does more than just strum. But Molly's strumming is also great, as well as her picking, along with her singing. I should mention that the song she's singing around 37.00 is especially good at bringing out the beauty in her voice.
cool video! Lot of people don't know this but Mr. Jerry Garcia was initially a San Francisco Bay area Bluegrass folky who played banjo. Also, regarding the idea that any given geographical area would or would not have Bluegrass, I'd offer this story: I grew up in a Midwestern city bordered the mason Dixon line. Tons and tons of Bluegrass players lived in my hometown. We were about an hour away from the Ohio river that separates Ohio from Kentucky. When I was about 19 years old I traveled to Nantucket Massachusetts to visit family . I went into a local restaurant/bar/Music Venue and was totally floored to hear some dyed-in-wool, very authentic bluegrass music. I don't recall the name of the trio, but they really were great. And I was surprised as I stayed in the region and eventually learned that New England has a very robust country music scene as well as Bluegrass and pretty much anything else. and that's a good thing!
45.30 open scale runs👍Put this in as a reminder for me to look again but must say how much I enjoyed this interview! She is obviously a great player but I also think she has a lovely tone to her singing.
Awesome interview Steve- I really appreciate what you are doing my friend and it’s all about the passion we have for guitar and you communicate that very well with Molly 😀
Strawberry bluegrass festival up in the Sierra Nevada has been a big thing since.. I met my wife.. I went to a small college up there.. I was in a jug band... and those guys were the founders of the Strawberry bluegrass festival..... back in the dark ages of Commodore computers .. I was not involved, but attended one of the festivals.. right before I met my wife in 84 I think it was.. no wonder I remember it.. 86.. right before we moved to New Mexico... and.. I was 4 years sober.. and actually remembered the fun I had... far out man
Very Very Nice! Thanks Molly and Steve. Wish I could of seen this live but I was unable to get it here in Costa Rica. This makes op for that. Thanks Steve for always having someone special for us to learn from Christopher
This was excellent. Molly is not only an unbelievable musician, but so pleasant and generous with her time and knowledge. If there are 2 questions I could’ve asked, they would’ve been, how often does she change strings, and can she play fingerstyle at all?
Yeah, we can see that's good enough. Learned so much such watching this picking style. I like Jim Dunlop purple pics which has round cavity on it for acoustic guitar and it is thick. I checked it is nylon big stubby 3mm. It is not stuck on strings don't know why ? But I have about Jim's almost any plectrums you have to find your own to play great.
Omg I just fell in love 😍lol iv heard about Molly but never really realized how good she is she seems very down to earth goood person I totally would love sit around a fire and get a lesson or few on some that picking she is so smooth that right hand looks like it’s b just strumming but she is shredding. Very nice it cool to see the new generation keep this music alive. And as a female coming ing in putting all those good ol boys in there place.totally 🔥🔥 hope to catch a live show some day soon you playing grey fox this year ..?
Great show/interview, Steve. I first saw Molly perform with her dad, Jack live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul during a showing of A Prarie Home Companion years ago. I’ve followed her career closely and seen her perform several times. It’s always great.
