Recordings by Phil Lawrence Mandolin Guitar Music

Dalton Dillingham III—6-String Upright Bass
Phil Lawrence—Mandolin/Harmonica
Stephen Tamborski—Guitar/Vocals

Play It Cool, Play It Hot

(June 2007)

Got Cool Too Soon 3:29
Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You 4:15
Queen Bee 2:28 © Phil Lawrence 2007
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans 6:45
Speak Softly 4:18
Manoir de Mes Reves 6:59
Black Orpheus 6:41
Minor Swing 3:52
Willow Weep for Me 5:34
Autumn Leaves 5:49
Dark Eyes 5:00
I’m Beginning to See the Light 4:16
Like Young 6:37
When Mandolins Weep 6:12 © Phil Lawrence 2007

This acoustic jazz trio is Phil’s latest musical project. Currently it has put together two CD’s. Play It Cool, Play It Hot and Spontaneity Thrilled the Cat. The first has 73 minutes of music and the second has just over 70 minutes of music. Stephen Tamborski plays guitar and sings and Dalton Dillingham III plays six-string acoustic upright bass. The band plays some original Phil Lawrence tunes and a variety of jazz standards. The trio formed in February of 2005 in Stephen’s garage studio. The DLT 3 has recorded most of their garage “rehearsals” and jams and these two CD’s represent selections from those spontaneous sessions. The playing is tasteful and sophisticated. Dalton has over 50 years of professional experience, having played with Louis Armstrong, Bill Monroe, and Tom Waits, to name only a few. Stephen recorded with Maria Muldaur and David Grisman on Ms. Muldaur’s On The Sunny Side.

Listen to The DLT 3 Phil's Current Jazz Trio

Minor Swing

Manoir de Mes Reves

Queen Bee (Original Composition by Phil Lawrence)

Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You (StephenTamborski--vocals, guitar)

When Mandolins Weep (Original Composition by Phil Lawrence--dedicated to Chip Dunbar)

Elegy (Original Composition by Phil Lawrence)

Devorah's Swing (Original Composition by Phil Lawrence)

Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans

View a Video of the DLT 3 Playing "Do You Know Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans"

View a Video of The DLT 3 Playing "Lover Man"

View a Video of The DLT 3 Live @ The French Garden from Stephen's Website Playing "Bei Mir Bist Du Schein"

Mandolin Mezzotints contains 11 instrumental recordings, seven of which are original compositions by Phil Lawrence. The last track, “The Sheik of Araby”, has two talented vocalists, Bruce Stelter and Piper Heisig (from The Catz and Jammers band). Tony Marcus, also from The Catz and Jammers band, plays violin on two tracks. Radim Zenkl, renowned Czech mandolinist who has several CDs on David Grisman’s Acoustic Disc label, also solos on six tracks. Joe Yamamoto is the real hero of this CD: he plays both guitar and violin on most tracks.

(1981)
This is Phil Lawrence’s first recording. It was issued as a cassette in 1981. It opens with the original composition “Trans Siberian Express”, a powerful new-grass type fiddle tune that features Tony Marcus on violin and Jean-Jacques Vergnaud on guitar. Michael Berst plays hammered dulcimer on “Over the Rainbow” and “Golden Slippers”. Carlos Alden, who now plays with The Celtic Nots, also plays guitar. “Over the Rainbow” and “Tulip Blossoms,” an original composition, also appear on the Mezzotint CD. Recorded by John Blakeley, whose band, The Sandals, performed and composed the soundtrack for the movie The Endless Summer. John Blakeley also performed with Stoneground, Van Morrison, and he appears in the Martin Scorsese film The Medicine Ball Caravan along with B.B. King. This recording is now available on CD in combination with The Brooklyn Rag.

(1984)
This 25 minute mini-cassette was issued in 1984. It has five original compositions, all different in style. It begins with the title track, “The Brooklyn Rag” which again features Tony Marcus on violin. Bruce Stelter plays guitar and Piper Heisig from Catz and Jammers plays bass and percussion. The last composition “L’Esperance” has a chamber ensemble—violin, cello, and viola—providing an classical-sounding background ambience. The lyrical waltz, “Hava’s Tune”, also is included on the Mezzotint CD. Two Latin-style pieces also add flavor to the recording. Also recorded at John Blakeley’s Duncan Street Studio in San Francisco. This recording is now available on CD in combination with the above recording.

This cassette features the vocalist Katie Carleton. Ron Gersten plays guitar and he also composed some of the songs. This San Francisco based trio played in North Beach cafes in 1986 and 1987 until Katie became ill with bone cancer. The band continued to record even while Katie received treatments for her illness. On the opening track, “Reach Across Heaven”, by Ron, Katie adds several harmony parts to her melody line; the result is a deeply emotional and beautiful vocal tapestry. She also adds four part harmony to her version of the Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” Phil and Katie co-wrote the music to “Mojave Reverie” with Harvey Rich (formerly with Steve Seskin); the lyrics were written by the Grammy Award nominated Roberta Donnay. The lyrics describe a mysterious dream leading the dreamer to an unknown country. Katie Carleton sings this song as if she were actually in that dream. Recorded at John Blakeley’s Duncan Street Studio. This recording is now available on CD in limited numbers.

This cassette recording features Michael Berst on hammered dulcimer. It contains old-time American square dance tunes played in a style common Michigan and the Midwest around the early 1900’s. It was recorded in March 1981 and sold on the streets of San Francisco at Fisherman’s Wharf as Michael and Phil played as a duo. This is Phil’s first foray into professional recording and his introduction to old-time American music.

This live recording features the powerful and melodic country singing of Karin Akin. Andy Padlo wrote all the original songs and plays guitar and sings as well. Joe Yamamoto plays violin and guitar and Phil Lawrence plays mandolin and lead acoustic guitar. It was a privilege working with Karin, perhaps the best vocalist Phil ever had the opportunity to perform with live. The live audience adds an element of excitement on this recording. Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers later recorded one of Andy’s original songs. This recording is now available on CD in limited numbers.

This trio features the singing and songwriting of Susanna Praetzel and her husband Michael Rosloff. They harmonize together and Phil Lawrence adds lead guitar parts on his Martin D 28 guitar and mandolin solos with his Gibson F2 mandolin. Phil also plays harmonica on a several tracks. Track 3, “I Thought I Saw You” has Phil’s best recording of his lead guitar work; the guitar lines weave around Susanna’s plaintive vocals. Track 1 “Edge of Your Heart” has some powerful rocking leads. The mandolin solo on Michael’s song, “A High Price to Pay” is worth listening to as is the harmonica on “I’d Do It All Again” and “The Quiet Men.”

In the summer of 2000 Paul Alexander, the founder of Jubilee Klezmer Ensemble, invited Phil Lawrence to join his new Eastern-European Jewish music band. Phil has been performing and recording with this group since that time and the Raisins and Almonds CD is the result of that collaboration. The music on this CD invokes the spirit of the Old World Jewish wedding celebrations, with plenty of lively dance tunes.

The band also produced an earlier CD, Mazel Tov, and is currently working on recording a new CD.

Phil’s longtime Sonoma County friend, Jeffrey Jon, aka White Bear, produced this CD of his original songs and Phil plays on two tracks.

Phil plays mandolin on the last track, "The Mary Ellen Carter", of this CD, originally a vinyl LP. David Rea plays guitar on this track; he also composed the classic rock song, "Mississippi Queen."

Give Us Gibsons

Give Us Gibsons plays blues, mellow songs, funny songs, including originals, and songs by Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Jorma Kaukonen and others. Visit our website at http://www.giveusgibsons.com/

All recordings are $15 each plus $2.50 each for shipping and handling. You can order recordings:

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Phil Lawrence
981 Maytum Ave.
Sebastopol, Ca. 95472

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