David Long
- Type
- solo
Lead
Lead
A mandolin virtuoso raised in Pittsburgh who served his apprenticeship with bluegrass master Mike Compton, David Long returns with A Public Record, a raw and unflinching debut album of original songs recorded live to analog tape in Bristol, Virginia. For fans of Mike Compton, John Hartford, and the gritty traditional bluegrass revival.
Bio
Bio
David Long plays bluegrass mandolin with devil-may-care verve and sings original songs invested with the deep soul of a man who has known more than his share of trouble. With mandolin mentor Mike Compton, Long recorded the duo album Stomp in 2006 for bluegrass kingpin David Grisman’s label, Acoustic Disc. But the most personal statement of Long’s art to date is his debut solo album, A Public Record, which features nine originals performed live-in-the-studio by the mandolinist-singer and an ace band in Bristol, Virginia, recorded with the sort of vintage analog gear that the pioneers of country music would’ve recognized. Along with its rousing instrumental work, A Public Record also captures Long’s uncommon individuality as a singer and songwriter, with the album featuring such cathartic highlights as “Comeback Kid,” “Oblivion,” “Before I Hit the Grave” and “Pray That Sunday Never Comes.”
Story
Story
Long was born in 1975 and raised in the Pittsburgh area, initially drawn to bluegrass for what he calls its "laugh-to-keep-from-crying" quality. He started taking mandolin lessons on the day Bill Monroe died, in 1996, when he was 21, arriving at the instrument as a self-described late bloomer. Touring with Mike Compton was like going to college for him...he learned a world of music from Mike, absorbing technique and philosophy from one of bluegrass's most revered players.
Long and Compton recorded the duo album Stomp in 2006, released on bluegrass kingpin David Grisman's Acoustic Disc label. The album was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association Recorded Event of the Year. Despite the critical success, Long spent years after Stomp honing his voice as a singer and songwriter, working with the Wildwood Valley Boys and Karl Shiflett's Big Country Show while developing his own material.
A Public Record was recorded in vintage analog style in Bristol, Virginia, the hallowed birthplace of bluegrass and country music, with the sort of vintage analog gear that the pioneers of country music would've recognized. Long and his crew – Scott Simontacchi (guitar, vocals), Shad Cobb (fiddle, baritone harmonies), Derek Vaden (banjo), Jake Hopping (double-bass), Kevin Kehrberg (double-bass & bass vocals) and Mike Grey (drums) – recorded the album all live to analog tape in a single seven-hour session. The album features cathartic highlights as "Comeback Kid," "Oblivion" and "Before I Hit the Grave"—songs that poetically convey his struggles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse.
Mike Compton says of Long: "To me, David's key talent as a player is in his great sense of rhythm...It's very conversational – like a natural extension of who he is as a man. You can hear it in his touch and the way he tells a story. I like artists whose art is unpredictable and unapologetic, and David plays with gusto and, sometimes, reckless abandon." With A Public Record, Long finally steps fully into the role of bandleader, composer, and vocalist, channeling years of hard-won experience into original songs of rare emotional honesty.
Press
Press
“At the top of the list of new masters is David Long. Mentored by Wakefield and Compton, David brings incredible energy and enthusiasm to his music.”
“David Long is clearly a next generation musician ably stepping forward to honor and keep the traditional sounds of bluegrass in his playing and composing.”