The Most Explosive Blues Violin Solo On Film - 'In the Cluster Blues' Mark O'Connor

Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio on "Mountain Stage"
'In the Cluster Blues' written by Mark O'Connor
FZ: Hearing you play the blues on the violin seems so natural. How long have you been exploring the blues and what do you do or how do you accomplish that sound on the violin?
MOC: Since I was a kid, 11 years-old. I played the blues all the time on my fiddle, and older folks would say, "how is that boy playing the blues! I'll be darned!" The blues though is what I heard, or more to the point, what I felt. It spoke to how hard a time I had dealing with stuff. It felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I am quite serious given my family situation - raging alcoholic/abusive father, a dying mother and severe bullying at school. It was only my music that saved me my life, I can promise you that.
FZ: In this version of "In the Cluster Blues" you really go for it with the
wails, screams, struggles...a lot of intensity!! Where do you find that inspiration, your childhood? Did you have to dig deep, and/or is there an experience you think about to create this kind of expression?
MOC: Well there is the childhood, which parts of it I will never escape completely. But some other very painful things have developed since then. The name of the tune... I named it "in the cluster." That is specific. Have you ever heard of cluster migraine? I have a chronic case, a curse really. The head pain comes in "clusters" and during those times, it is relentless pain. Look it up! Dubbed the suicide headache! I pray that no one experiences these. My ability to play this way like I do, is channeling the pain that I have and forcing it from myself. The screams, the wails. And then the loneliness of the melody at the end when the pain finally subsides. The blues is my autobiography and salvation. Overcoming great odds to make it and survive. Just to make music and please the others around me you know. That is what I was meant to do, and I needed that in my life.
Hot Swing Trio (2004)
Mark O'Connor - Violin
Frank Vignola - Guitar
Jon Burr - Bass
For more information on Mark O'Connor, String Camps, The O'Connor Method, ensembles, repertoire, sheet music and more, please visit www.markoconnor...
For More KZbins of Mark O'Connor's music:
/ markoconnor
#!...
/ markoconnorfanpage

[@BrianDefferding]

I did a search for violin blues, and man oh man did I find it.

[@johnnyzhang3654]

same

[@pinkmist6810]

Same

[@danielofthepeople3632]

Same

[@scooterjones5543]

Same omg

[@LeonardoVitor]

Same

[@markoconnor]

"Since I was a kid, 11 years-old. I played the blues all the time on my fiddle, and older folks would say, "how is that boy playing the blues! I'll be darned!""

[@drubydanoobie7476]

how bout that bow in a bag . . .

[@pchamney]

This was an eye-opener. Wonderful stuff!

[@SugahShy]

Give us instruments and we will play what is in us to play. ;)

[@Jeremy-yr8yg]

SugahShy Amen!

[@ericconnor8251]

Mark O'Connor You are a god of music walking amongst mere mortal men. I bow to you, sir! We're not worthy!

[@trimntim]

The Devil may have gone down to Georgia, but when he saw this, he decided to just stay out of the way!

[@Robin18us]

All three of these guys are real masters of their instruments

[@fredericklouisspecht3704]

A shoutout fro Frank Vignola on the guitar, another genius on his instrument.

[@foggydew9428]

I really didn't enjoy his performance tbh. I didn't like that guitar solo at all around 3 minutes in

[@colliedogboy]

Mark's fiddle sounds like the heart-cries from a tormented soul who cannot voice the pain felt within. He's got soul!

[@danieltrickey9285]

I am going back to my room to practice.

[@daymi7300]

Daniel Trickey you better

[@K131399]

the beauty of youtube is when you think you're really doing it on another level there's these monsters to politely explain that in fact you are not lol

[@Alex-is8hk]

Daniel Trickey better get your 40 hours a day in.

[@qwargy]

One of the the best musicians on the planet! A genius’ genius.

[@wandamundy1759]

It's not just Mark's playing that I love. Or that our childhoods were very similar. Or that I, too, used to suffer with migraines . . . I love his inclusiveness and how he spreads the Love around. Always showcasing other players, his wife (Maggie) - and including other folks' kids with the method for learning and playing he developed Not to mention documenting and journaling it all so that it becomes a part of Music History - a legacy for future generations of players And he's not a toad - he's a nice guy - with a sense of humour. I am just tickled by him (like an older sister) - and his playing and the endeavours I'm aware of - bring me an enormous sense of Joy. A Life well-lived - is the best "revenge" for those early years . . .

[@Jeremy-yr8yg]

Dang!! That poor fiddle!!!! It's gonna need counseling!!

[@SteveHanesFiddleMusic]

+J Trice Great Response my Friend !! .... :)

[@michaelharvey5138]

J T iii

[@jondoe888i]

(it was shown a toy fiddle)... 'Tell us - did he touch you there? How far down the neck did he go?'...

[@docwallacemusic]

Around the time this was filmed, I saw MO'C's Hot Swing Trio play every night at the Iridium jazz club in NYC for a full week. Special guests included Chris Thile, Rushad Eggleston, and Jane Monheit. The sets were unreal! No two performances of "In the Cluster Blues" were alike; every violin solo was as fierce and inventive as this one. Mark's a genius; there's no other word for it!

[@luchadorito]

Wait THAT Rushad Eggleston? Chords on a cello while wearing nothing but a fairy hat Rushed Eggleston?

[@patriciajrs46]

That stand up bass is da' boss! The fiddle sounds so lonesome. He can make it cry. How cool is that?

[@danieltrickey9285]

The beauty of the blues is that you can play it as simple or complicated as you want.

[@ajm2360]

100% I can play a simple 12 bar progression on my keyboard and then go into a jazz improvisation and go back again without straying too far from the original melody. Best genre ever!!

[@patriciajrs46]

Your soul brought ypu here.

[@MrShenLung]

Frank Vignola - one of the true great guitarists of our time! Awesome!

[@otghgad]

I don't say this often... I'm a musician of some 50 years... and this is some of the finest musicianship I've heard in a very long time. All three of them. Simply superb.

[@trimntim]

It's not very often that musically, I get a "What the heck have I been missing out on moment", But this was one of those times indeed! I swear I thought you were gonna saw that fiddle in half! :) Amazing! Thank you, just for being you.

[@40MileDesertRat]

What is the melting point on a violin string? You must have been right on the edge. Outstanding !!

[@MrPHart]

Na its air cooled, maybe a little help with sweat cooled also. He might think about Arm Wrestling for a little extra $$'s as a sideline.

[@musiclover9361]

This is as close to perfection as we're likely to ever hear.

[@donaldLcady]

Mark is one of the very best musicians alive today...………...

[@howlinsg1968]

This should have at least 10 million views by now. Mark O'Connor - you are a bloody legend. Great stuff!

[@julesviolin]

Very nice to see very olde fiddle and doublebass instruments being played. Great gig 🎶🎻🎶🎻🎶🎻🎶🎻🎶

[@ericvi3921]

Take a moment to realize, that you are all now slightly more intelligent for having heard this.

[@chipperP]

damaniseman Yes indeed.

[@RealtyWebDesigners]

Yes I'm going to put lyrics to it

[@davevogt4918]

Creating and maintaining a mood through a piece is critical. These guys check all the boxes past shredding and I hope theyre proud of this!

[@catswithfirecrackers734]

I niece God gives every one their gifts and talents. Some get an extra dose of a gift to cope with trauma of pain. He found a Saving Grace, in music to escape the inner turmoil and the outer chaos. Listen to these cats make some sultry music.

[@pharmocist13]

I was very fortunate to watch and hear Mark O'Connor (Fiddle), Tony Rice (Flatpicking the Martin Guitar) , Bella Fleck (on the 5-string Banjo) , "The" Jerry Douglas (on the Dobro), and Sam Bush on the Mandolin). They played at a Bluegrass festival (Horsepens 40) back when they first got together. The only way to describe these guys is "Magic".....

[@Hapax007]

I was fortunate to have seen ( and heard ) Bella Fleck playing with The Georgia Symphony a few years back. What a masterful performance that was !!

[@danieltrickey9285]

I've never heard the blues on guitar like that. Wow. I play guitar and wow. The violin is so simply beautiful.

[@addyn25]

i play both, and both for a while, and i've never heard the blues so differently played on the guitar. had a weird classical touch and a jazzy vibe

[@rdalin]

That's Frank Vignola, a great jazz guitarist.

[@patriciajrs46]

You need to listen again to Lucille! The guitar.

[@muggabooga]

Incredible playing by one of my heroes, Mark O'Connor. Love Frank Vignola on guitar, too- and the bassist- sorry I don't recognize. But I've seen Mark and Frank both, just not together, and this is a treat!

[@joegee1000]

Good god, man! That solo is unspeakable! You just blew the blues dictionary out the door! You laid down an encyclopedia of blues language never before heard on a violin! Incredible.....

[@TheLouise24]

I love the Blues and I love this performance. It makes me feel as If I'm walking down a dusty road in my native North Carolina and I'm swaying from side to side.

[@johnlindstrom9994]

Beautiful BLUE notes! I'd call this Jazz, especially Burr, who's right up there with Ray Brown and Red Mitchell! Except, the natural tendency here is to clap "on the beat." In Jazz, one claps "off the beat." Mark's written notes are very poignant, and relate exactly to his playing. Intensity is equal to Coltrane, I feel. I think some of Coltrane's last playing was acknowledging his battle with liver cancer and the pain. Of course, the constant pain of black people too. Cultural and personal PAIN together double the PAIN.

[@herbsommerfeldt7927]

Probably one of the best performances I've ever seen. Tears of joy.

[@larrygeetar9309]

Holy Shit! Hendrix alive in the violin, along with Jeff Beck, too. Stunning.

[@user-qr8ki8ue4i]

larry geetar No surprise, then, that they're (Hendrix and O' Connor) both Seattle born and bred. :)

[@sebastianstarr1960]

All I can add is, " Wow.....Wow".... an absolutely incredible trio performing an amazing piece of music. I can listen to this all day long.

[@TheZigzag1949]

Pretty sure that's Frank Vignola on guitar. Top of the heap these days.

[@hiliberate]

put a big smile on my face ... brilliant stuff ... cheers

[@jerrymyers1798]

Funny thing is Mark was doing this back in 1976....well probably before that but that's when I first became aware of him. Mark how did you get so good? What I'd really like to know is....who influenced you at such a young age to become the person you are now.

[@tomforsythe7024]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Thomasson

[@eddiethep]

Man being a blues guitar player I never really thought that the blues wouldn’t sound so great on violin. Boy was I really wrong. This dude sounds amazing!!!

[@Mikri90]

Yeah it can sound really good, and also you can hook it up to a guitar amp and do a sort of "pretend" guitar solo with some overdrive. It acts like a guitar that's being bowed rather than plucked.

[@jorgemurilodefensordecastr2749]

Blues on a classical way. So good!

[@ZacharyRedFulton]

When you’re playin’ the blues, you still call it the fiddle!!!

[@chipperP]

This, children, is what you call TRUE art.

[@charlesarthurhultz8615]

You can always tell when those who have dedicated their entire lives and beings to absolutely perfect what they do best: make instruments sound as they did on this performance. Been following Mr. O' Conner since first seeing Strength in Numbers on Austin City Limits over 20 years ago. Pure Magic! God, how envious I am of them; Larry King always said "Talent will out." He was 100% correct. The quality always comes to a fore ans makes itself known. Thank you for sharing. Bless.

[@muggabooga]

@AcidDog... The guitarist is the brilliant Frank Vignola. I have seen him perform with Tommy Emmanuel and he is fantastic.

[@birdsadventuresinwoodandmusic]

I play several instruments and got a fiddle a while back to see if I could learn it. At 72 it hasn't been as easy as it would have when I was younger because it is much more physical. But I instantly realized that I wished I'd been playing it all my life. It is the closest to the human voice as far as control goes that I have found. I have often wondered why there wasn't more blues played on it. It lends itself to the idiom perfectly. I'll keep working on it lol! Oh, and this guy? Unreal! And if you have any socksx on after this, check his Orange Blossom Special with the Boston Pops. He'll blow them off too!

[@MandoMarkinIndy]

At 4:57 Mark's fiddle sounds like Bessie Smith....totally off the chain! Three masters at work!

[@froggiechar]

Wow! That was an inspirational and amazing performance! Thank you for sharing your great gift of instrumental and composing talents! God bless, Bro. Charlie

[@musiclover9361]

This is jaw-dropping virtuosity from all three.

[@SkipWay]

I'm really enjoying all your many talents. Not being an avid bluegrass fan, although I like it, I was late discovering you. I'm tuned in now though! great solo!

[@jandw95]

Feel that in my soul. Beautiful.

[@oldetownerez]

Is that Frank Vignola?

[@groovyhippie1165]

+Herb Smith Hot Swing Trio (2004) Mark O'Connor - Violin Frank Vignola - Guitar Jon Burr - Bass

[@oldetownerez]

Thanks, GH

[@saidgrasshopper1110]

beautiful, now part of my morning mix.

[@danradu9659]

Amazingly, there are several better songs on this album than this one.... Get the Mark O'Connor Band - Jam Session 2010. It is crazy musicianship.

[@billtucker1957]

It just never ever, ever, gets old! Lord have mercy! In the deep south there's a saying which applies here, Mark just puts his foot in it!!

[@americandevil]

So good! Mark makes me emote like I do with stephane grapelli's shredding... also, Jon Burr's tone is the best

[@joaoegp420]

Tan solo el inicio te indica lo bella que es esta melodía 💚💚😄

[@balipan09]

Must be a sweet feeling knowing you can shred like that. That was slicker than goose shit.

[@K131399]

almost incomprehensible this mans talent

[@jackienaiditch7965]

So does Mark O'Connor suffer from cluster headaches (as do I)? My Google search didn't reveal anything.

[@markoconnor]

read the description box on this video

[@jackienaiditch7965]

@@markoconnor FWIW, I started having horrific (is there any other kind?) episodic clusters at the age of 14. Several years ago, they completely disappeared! I truly hope this has happened, or will happen, for you.

[@allthingsgood4u]

Enjoyed immensely your performance in Billings Montana a number of years ago. Your cd is a favorite in my collecction

[@jayo-e2thel908]

That violin was totally abused, and it loved every second of it! Amazingly spectacular job to all three of you!

[@timthomson9376]

Totally Killed It!!! You can make that fiddle squeal!!! Best I've heard!!! Ever!

[@weshamby29]

Well I'll be... A fiddle god.. hope I can find some of this sheet music.. how am I just now hearing about you??

[@GuitarSaloon]

It all makes perfect sense once you read his explanation - I did not know this story of his life and childhood. The intensity of emotion that pours from him during this can only come from true feeling - it can not be faked or performed as "showmanship". Thank you Mark for being so open and honest with your fans and thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

[@tomsolinger611]

All three are great musicians. The violin solo is an explosion of dramatic blues beauty!

[@ChristinaEarlymorn]

Since 24 years now I play metal guitar. This was EPIC!!!!

[@suki0venkat]

Mark O'Connor plays violin with his bow, and suddenly turns it into a sword to break the chains like a true artist, still keeping the act like a pro.

[@CatherineSTodd]

From video notes: "FZ: Hearing you play the blues on the violin seems so natural. How long have you been exploring the blues and what do you do or how do you accomplish that sound on the violin? MOC: Since I was a kid, 11 years-old. I played the blues all the time on my fiddle, and older folks would say, "how is that boy playing the blues! I'll be darned!" The blues though is what I heard, or more to the point, what I felt. It spoke to how hard a time I had dealing with stuff. It felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I am quite serious given my family situation - raging alcoholic/abusive father, a dying mother and severe bullying at school. It was only my music that saved me my life, I can promise you that." ... "The blues is my autobiography and salvation. Overcoming great odds to make it and survive. Just to make music and please the others around me you know. That is what I was meant to do, and I needed that in my life." more... I had no idea! Your story gives me hope for my own. Gracias, mi amigo... for art & music which has saved our life and saves the world. Amen!

[@michaelbeeson8723]

Wow! Hottest fiddle I ever heard!

[@marcoevans2155]

If this is the last song you ever hear, you're probably going to someplace nice.

[@DocMarshall]

What can I say? A sterling performance by three of the most fantastic musicians I have ever heard. Wonderful!

[@johnwilbur]

Incredible! Thank you so much for recording and sharing this!!!

[@ianfisher1271]

4:50ish is wheb the solo starts but 5:40 is when it starts getting juicy

[@DejaBluGuitars]

The only thing missing would have been a surprise walk on of Rickie Lee Jones wearing a Rasberry beret (tambourine in hand) and maybe Mark lighting and smoking a cigarette thru the guitar and bass solos, then in Eddie Van Halen form letting it burn a scar into the headstock as he blew em' all away... Blindin, simply blindin.... Marc Somewhere in Alabama...

[@scody311]

Mark O'Conner... I'm a huge fan!!! Here's a vid of my daughter doin one of your tunes :) Pickin in the Wind

[@danielhaggerty7209]

This is really nice, although I do prefer my Blues Raw ( Son House/Bukka White Raw) But I do love the fiddle on the Blues. And I do like "High Brow" Musicians, respecting the Blues. The Blues is the sound of the 20th Century. I don't like when I hear people refer to it as "The Jazz Age" . Nothing against Jazz, I like Jazz. I like Country and Rock and Roll too. But I'm tired of people thinking Blues is just a Rudimentary version of Jazz. Jazz and Rock are both Born of the Blues. The Blues is the BEST ART America Ever Produced. Mark O'Conner is a virtuoso, I'm not disputing or refuting that when I say "So Was Son House!" Some of the best Music is off the beaten path.

[@blancolirio]

'vamping' I think the boys call it...Shit Hot!

[@KarenClancy]

So you post this on Facebook and I come right in. Thanks Mark! Music is definitely Salvation. I have a hard leaving the piano to go do anything else! Always sang...the piano is my new Joy.

[@mediamarv1]

Geetar playing ain't bad either in the video.

[@HikeColorado]

Very nice indeed. Kinda reminds me of Sugar Cane Harris. Played with Zappa on Directly From My Heart to You back in the day. ❤

[@thetight]

Incredible! Also check out Muddy Waters Plantation Recordings if you want to hear some OLD SCHOOL blues fiddle. actually i think Mark borrows a lick from that recording in this song!!

[@spearmusic]

Yowzer. Don't just listen to it (while web surfing), watch it. Mark cranks it up to infinite starting at about 4:56... incredible! I really have to go hear/see him in concert someday soon. Loved his music since he was a whipper snapper. Last saw him on the Grisman tour in Los Angeles (UCLA, I believe) in summer 77 or 79 but only on guitar. What's wonderful about Mark's playing is that virtuosity is not a substitute or mask for feeling. He has them both in spades.

[@BD-yl5mh]

The opening bit of violin didn’t really inspire me to be completely honest. I stuck with the video partly because I was listening while doing chores and partly because I thought the guitarist was good… But my god…. In the two minutes he wasn’t in the spotlight… something possessed that violinist. When he came back in I actually literally stood up and took notice

[@tomlettman]

Superb O'Connor as always!!!!!!!!!!

[@IanRob2011]

Thank you for all the wonderful music!!

[@edk.9939]

Amazing, hard to improve on perfection. Thanks for this, it was super cool. I've passed it around and no one yet has said anything but great things about it. I've watched this video at least 50 times in the last week. I do love me some blues, and this does fill the ticket.

[@lapetgadong5020]

i can't play violin, not realy interesting in violin, and i dont know mark o'connor. but, i heard him play violin in some video and its sounds so special. can somebody explain why the sound he produce is so acurate and amazing?

[@pappyfiddle]

Thing is, blues is kind of left-handed. Slanty scales and sinuous melodies... There must be a version of it that's "right handed" somewhere. Bluegrass ain't it exactly. The idea is that life is tough, but here I am, people try to shove me around but I don't shove. And I make music that reflects that; merry music, sad music, but it rings clear and it sounds really amazing. Hard to explain but the search proceeds

[@j.m.harrincourt2208]

Too sophisticated. Typically, when jazz musicians play blues.

[@abelalencar3528]

show de bola!!! Magnifico!!! Muita sabedoria e conhecimento.... Congratulations!!!

[@timoday6318]

Devil got his ass kicked!

[@RealtyWebDesigners]

I'm nothing less than whom I choose to be.

[@michaelharvey5138]

Totally mind blowing blues from a master!!!.

[@grislyflatlander9405]

The only thing that could make this better is if Mark O'Connor was also playing guitar.

[@jeffreysiegel9125]

Really great jam!!! Thank you for putting it up!

[@MrPHart]

I saw Mr. O'Connor some years back in Santa Fe, NM. I play a 5-string viola…or maybe… if Mark play the violin then I just hold my viola under my chin…"a wishing" I could learn to play, Lordy that man excites the air inside his fiddle. ℗.

[@davidchamberlain8910]

Great sounding trio.

[@emilabraham3440]

more than awesome...

[@jviolin]

One of my other favorite solo's out there!! Thanks again Mark!

[@charleshoernemann8661]

It's a Frank Vignola Signature archtop made by Thorell, very beautiful hand-crafted instruments made in the US. Cheers!

[@Fiddlinfrenzy]

The suzuki teacher definitely can't play fiddle. When you play traditional fiddle you have to sit down to clog your feet.

[@marisaalanis8145]

Awesome! A great legend O'Connor.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

Mark is to fiddling the same as Pinkus Zuckerman is to violin playing!