Throughout my many years of studying, playing and listening to music, I always searched out new artists to add to my album or CD collection. After listening to some of the original compositions by mandolin player, David Benedict, I was pleasantly surprised by his recent album “The Golden Angle”. This 2018 album was produced by David Benedict and Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Finner.
The Golden Age
From up tempo tunes such as “Dorrigo”, “The Golden Angle”, and “Lawnmower”, to slower compositions like “Waltz for Griffen” or “Madrona”, this album offers a nice diverse blend of mandolin sounds. However, no album is complete without a great supporting cast. Other artists on various tracks include: David Grier and Ross Martin on guitar, Mike Barnett and Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Wes Corbett on banjo, and Missy Raines on bass.
Take a listen to Mr. Benedict’s new CD and judge for yourself. David is sure to have a promising career as a mandolin virtuoso.
About fretmentor
Born in Detroit, Michigan, David F. Jakubiak has been involved in music since the age of 7, beginning as a clarinet player and then at 9 turning his attention to stringed instruments. He earned trophies in group talent competitions while a student at the University of Michigan. The instructor earned a BA degree in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Kansas. At college, he also studied classical music and music history.
His passion is teaching music and in performing as a musician. In addition to on-stage performances, David has played in various venues from outdoor festivals to small nightclubs. He plays, performs and teaches various styles of music, including rock, pop, blues, jazz, classical, country and bluegrass styles. He performs and teaches acoustic and electric guitar, five-string banjo, and mandolin. His styles range from Scruggs, melodic, Reno and old-time style on banjo, to finger-style and flat-picking technique on guitar, to various styles of mandolin.
For over 45 years, Mr. Jakubiak has taught all age groups, taking a personal interest in each student to ensure that they receive the attention and lesson plans that meet their needs and interests. His lessons and instructional materials place a strong emphasis on the practical use or music theory to ensure that the student understands the instrument and learns how to improvise to develop their own style. Mr Jakubiak teaches group and studio classes, webcam lessons over the internet, and individual private lessons to students of various ages. He has compiled and produced eight instructional books on CD as well as numerous instrumental arrangements.
David has written for Banjo Newsletter, a monthly publication for the banjo enthusiast and has published an article in Issue #37 of the Fretboard Journal. He is the founder of www.fretmentor.com.
To contact David Jakubiak, please feel free to e-mail him at david AT fretmentor.com (substitute the @ sign for the word AT)
