Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Instrumentals, Vol. 2: Mandolin Mysteries (2024)

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Adhyâropa Records announces a May 24 release of Jacob Jolliff’s Instrumentals Vol. 2: Mandolin Mysteries, a follow up to his influential 2018 release, Instrumentals, Vol. 1, his latest edition of all original music shows the development in his compositional skill while retaining the fiery group playing that has marked his previous albums.

About the new recording Jolliff told us, "There's a theme running through the album that this could be music to accompany a mystery or dimestore book, hence the name. "Vera" is named after a detective show, and "The Art Heist Suite" has a fun James Bond spy thriller feel to it.

"It's different making a record now that I'm in my mid-30s; I was 27 when the first Instrumentals album came out. When I listen back to my older music I can really hear the difference in my playing from then to now. At that age there's still a sense that you have something to prove and, that’s not a bad thing in your 20s — there's a certain type of tune I would write back then that I still enjoy but these days there's something else I'm trying to express through my writing and playing.

"I wrote most of this album at the piano, which was a great way to open up new possibilities. I don't really play piano that well, just well enough to pick out melodies, but in that creative space I was able to just focus on developing melodies rather than executing what I already know is technically possible on my primary instrument."

Jolliff is joined on the recording by George Jackson on fiddle, Ross Martin on guitar, and Myles Sloniker on bass.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Vera (6:10)
1.02 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Los Angeles County Breakdown (4:58)
1.03 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - The Devil Hath Power To Assume A Pleasing Shape (5:25)
1.04 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - The Perils Of Macramé (5:38)
1.05 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - The Art Heist Suite Mvt 1 (5:43)
1.06 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - The Art Heist Suite Mvt 2 (4:18)
1.07 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - The Art Heist Suite Mvt 3 (5:58)
1.08 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Blossoms Will Run Away (4:44)
1.09 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Copper Beeches (5:04)
1.10 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Silver Blaze (2:37)
1.11 - Jacob Jolliff, George Jackson, Ross Martin, Myles Sloniker - Twin Rocks (6:43)