Live! Folklife Concert: Don Julin & Alan Epstein (Jambalaya)

Don Julin and Alan Epstein, mandolin players/teachers extraordinaire, joined forces for an evening showcasing the many worlds of the mandolin.

Don Julin, author of the best selling "Mandolin For Dummies," has developed a reputation for being one of the most eclectic mandolin players/teachers on the scene today. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Don has been playing, teaching, and writing music with the mandolin for over 35 years. His original compositions have been used on many network and cable television programs. Recent clients include Sony Classics, HBO, VH1, MTV, NBC, Showtime, Bravo, National Geographic Explorer, Fox Sports, and many more. From 2013-2016 Julin hit the road playing around 500 shows with Billy Strings, introducing this young, rising bluegrass star to the world. He currently performs in a few regional groups: The Don Julin Quartet: an acoustic instrumental group; The Ol’ Microtones: an electric reggae band; and The Big Fun Jam Band: original compositions and jazz. Today, Don spends much of his time teaching at mandolin camps around America and running the online mandolin school, Mandolins Heal The World.

Alan Epstein has been playing music for over 45 years. He has studied with some of the top mandolin players in the world, played in numerous bluegrass bands, toured with Don Julin's Neptune Quartet, was the founder of the modern day Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra, and has been picking, singing, strolling and teaching the mandolin in the Capital district since 2007. In 2017 Alan released two recordings highlighting his diverse style of mandolin playing: "Sunset on Meriden Hill," a mandolin and guitar duet instrumental recording with Jim Prendergast on guitar, and "That Lonesome Bluegrass Sound," featuring Alan singing and playing mandolin on bluegrass standards accompanied by a full bluegrass band. These days Alan spends most of his time teaching mandolin and bluegrass jamming locally and at camps nationwide, and for the past 4 years he has been the host of the popular Crandall Public Library's Winter Bluegrass Jam.

Free, live concert recorded Thursday, October 25, 2018 by Kevin Rogan and Todd DeGarmo. Edited by Kevin Rogan.

Concert hosted and produced by Todd DeGarmo, founding director of the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library and funded in part by the Friends of Crandall Public Library and the New York State Council on the Arts - Folk Arts Program with the support of the NYS Legislature.