Part 1: Strength In Numbers / Mark O'Connor (Rehearsal) 1/6/89

[@davecoleman6011]

I love Bela's comment at 11:20 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaGpfGisrpygkKs "I'd just like to say to myself, to all of us, in about 40 years when we're listening back to this ..." We're most of the way there at almost 32 years now, I hope you can all listen to it now with a big smile.

[@jambonejim1249]

The O'Connor vault just keeps on turning up great stuff. Thanks Mark.

[@bettorup_]

Showing people this album for the first time has become one of my favorite passtimes in life. An absolute masterpiece!

[@mandohat]

Mark, thank you for sharing this!!! I've wondered for years how much rehearsal went in to this. For a bluegrass and New Acoustic fan, this is like being behind the scenes to Miles Davis "kind of blue." What an album!

[@seansuperman]

Glad to see Sam rocks as hard in rehearsal as he does in shows! "Practice like you play", I guess! Fantastic stuff Mark.

[@justinreiter]

Wow! Very cool. Honored to have been the Production Manager of The Lonesome Pine Special, and get to tell these cool cats when we were rolling.

[@holgerhoetzel2294]

wow - it is amazing to get to watch this!

[@air460]

Thanks, Mark such insight into a historical treasure!

[@dottenday]

You're the best Mark. Loved meeting you in Tokyo when you were here to play with Edgar and Yo-Yo. You were very kind to stop and talk to me. I'll always remember that. Thank you.

[@Mrsournotes]

Been listening to this recording for years and now I get to see the rehearsal video! Talk about talent in one room! My kinda music. Many thanks

[@incrediblyusefulexercises]

This is wonderful. What a treasure! Thank you!

[@ronmumme1650]

A million thanks for posting this, Mark! One of my all-time favorite CDs, and it's great to see the jaw-dropping musical craftsmanship behind the recording. Thank you!

[@hbrianunderwood4946]

Fantastic. Still listen to it all the time!

[@alexeychudinov8250]

Thanks for sharing! This is a real treasure!

[@JasonWright-mc6dz]

AWESOME! Thanks for sharing this look back at a really cool moment in time. This record was like a soundtrack to young exciting time in my life.. These guys individually are all legendary players & virtuosic innovators. I loved watching this group of my favorite musicians “behind the curtain”!!

[@BradPhillipsMusic]

OH MY GOD SO COOL!

[@pickngrimace2726]

Thanks Mark for sharing this! I remember you all playing some great live sets at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in the late 1980s (besides you playing in Washington State when you lived there). I have fond memories of all of you from years ago in different settings, and this recording (and the CD that was released) shows how you combined your formidable individual musical talents in this group.

[@nazznate]

I haven't seen this yet, but so glad it's here. I've been screaming Strength in Numbers praise since I saw the airing of the Austin City Limits show in the late 80s/early 90s. Fortunately I had a video tape in the VCR and got the whole show. One of my favorite groups/albums of all time. Thanks Mark for putting this up!

[@j2814]

Holy grail of new grass ology!!! Lovely to have this! SiN was the album you turned your friend onto and nothing was the same again. PS: thanks for the beautiful solo so on Vashon at the theater when I lived there. Another gem from a musical *treasure* Mark O'Connor

[@Raised-Right]

This is amazing.

[@bradg4562]

All these guys are great but ya gotta love Sam...head banging even sitting down! I love it!

[@dougrobinson7710]

First of all, thank you, Mark for pulling this together. The Telluride sessions was hugely important in my musical evolution. To me, you guys were the weather report of acoustic music… I would’ve love to hear you evolve over the years as they did. But no matter, that album blew me away so much That I bought 10 CDs the first year and gave them to music loving friends as holiday gifts. The next year, I did the exact same thing for about 15 other friends. I did it a third year, but after that I could never find more discs! anyway, just lovely and brilliant, playing and composing and I really appreciate you all for what you brought to the table.

[@jmarg76]

Love this so much!!! Thanks for posting this Mark!

[@thetraceys7891]

The absolute best of the best. I wish these guys had cut more than just a single record.

[@johndance1362]

Thanks Mark! I still get goosebumps listening to this now! Stay well!😺

[@55dwack]

Fantastic! Thanks for posting this Mark! Been a fan since I saw you at KET’s Lonesome Pine show! You guys need to bring it back, the world needs you now!

[@jeremyharker8412]

Wow, this is so cool Mark! Many thanks for sharing it!!

[@banjoyBoy]

Ahhh memories ... First time I heard this Album I was tripping at Green Acres Music in NC, and this CD played before Newgrass Revival's Show as they were setting up. My guitar picking buddy I was with and I looked at each other and said "WTF is THAT??" and we asked the soundman what was playing. It was the fresh mix of the album and this was months before it was publicly released. Unforgettable. (Six months later NGR disbanded.) This album remains one of my all time favorites. Thanks for posting this, Mark.

[@samkendrick2653]

Thank you for this!

[@dknecht1971]

This is incredible. It’s inspiring to see the focus given towards each piece throughout the rehearsal, as the music deserves.

[@jellysalsa]

This is great! I remember watching you guys play these pieces on Austin City Limits. It blew me away. I tried recording it on an old tape player I had. I was living in Vancouver, Canada, playing banjo and always looking for inspiration. I definitely got it from you all.

[@seanwhite5665]

This really made my day. Thanks for sharing Mark!

[@fiddlist1934]

I met you one time in Houston Tx. You had a layover or something and someone brought you where I was staying. I do remember someone had stolen your hats or they had lost them. So you came and jammed with a guy named Kelly Lancaster who was playing with a gypsy band in the area. I was the upright player for James McKinney and Danger in the Air. We were there playing some shows. You played I think until it was time for you to catch your flight. I also saw you win the TN Old Time filldlers in clarksville when it was held at the Dunn Ctr I believe. You came back again and played at a different location. I was good friends with Randy Howard and hung with him some. It’s cool to see this video. Brings back some great memories. Loved Strength in Numbers.

[@Guitarwizzard1833]

The guitar work is so badass.

[@craigwalker7415]

WoW. Simply WoW.

[@bufatutuagonistes8876]

Music has meant a lot to me since my teens in the early sixties. This is world-class truly classical music, genius. I'm not sure I've ever used that word in a review before. Studied djing at Emerson in the late 1960s and started an alternative FM station that just celebrated its 40 on-air birthday, in large part so that people could hear and play and make interesting, unusual, and hopefully beautiful sounds. Before that I snuck my way, underage, into nightclubs to see Miles and did poppers in the second row in NYC for Ginger Baker double drumming with Eric and Jack touching distance away. I've spent nights near the oud play in Marrakesh and far more eves spent tapping to the lilt of the Gael and tracking down another Mick Taylor Stone's solo. Only Jerry Douglas in my collection is something he did with an Indian vina player. Only Fleck, two tunes he did with McCoy Tyner(Coltrane's pianist). Never been a fan of country or bluegrass. This is absolutely superlative music. Each musician, the interplay. Creativity, excellence, joy, quality, beauty, sonorous, expert are only some of the words that come to mind. And now finding another version. I think this really is heaven. Thanks for putting it here. It brings joy. PS: I'm a great fan of late Indian mandolin player U. Srinivas. Sam Bush plays completely differently. He's a treasure to this group and to my ears. What a madman!

[@fotoflex]

The corner of the room was probably the sweet spot for the little mike in the camera.

[@markoconnor]

Interesting, right. When I could not come up with the tape I made through the center mic, I was disappointed because of course the mic on the camera was going to pick up everyone else pretty well except myself because I was facing directly away from the mic with my back to it. But the violin still came out nicely anyway! Lucky. Pretty impressive I think.

[@fotoflex]

@@markoconnor When these simple electret mics are in the spot where the balance is right, they'll pick up everything, from low to high. The recordings are made in PCM and modern audio equipment can handle that very well.

[@barbarasearcy6681]

@@markoconnor Very impressive! I really love this! Thank you so much! I agree -- the BEST of the best musicians!

[@moonlightskier]

@@markoconnor yep, awesome!

[@amyferebee]

🎶😎🎶 💟

[@newroadband3118]

Holy crap! Macedonia!

[@robslusser9772]

sammy is lit, love it

[@MrManFid_]

This shows what people can accomplish when they work together. GENIUS VOTE against the lunatic that is presently in charge.

[@bryanstreettandtheblueridg9989]

All of that is true. I just wish Tony was in those sessions too.

[@markoconnor]

Tony and Edgar were not on the same wave length. I don't know if they even barely played on stage together). Two different beasts. You have to think about feel, tone, style, ears, background - not just how good you are or how many awards you have. There is a knack to combinations.

[@derfeus]

@@markoconnor They eventually played together on "The Landing" from Bela's "Tales from the Acoustic Planet" album.

[@markoconnor]

@@derfeus Maybe for a tune, but not a whole album, project, or show most likely is my guess.

[@rickrudd]

This is great! Gotta wonder about the " wasn't a lot of nonsense between us like the others" comment. That seems like a harsh way of putting it...

[@markoconnor]

...but accurate! Look at it again!

[@robslusser9772]

what a bunch of bluegrass musical nerds LMAO grab some tone and play it fast son!!