Dave Apollon • Mandolins! Mandolins! [1960] Coral Records CRL 757342

 

Dave Apollon was born in Kiev (Kyiv), Russia, in 1897. Originally a student of the violin, he became acquainted with the mandolin through an old bowl-backed model his father had lying about the house. By the young age of 14, he was performing on the instrument in theaters throughout Kiev (Kyiv), but a stint as a soldier during the Russian Revolution stalled his burgeoning career. After the war, Apollon moved to the Philippines, where he continued playing his mandolin and dancing. After a brief stop in Japan, he headed for America. In 1919, Apollon landed in New York and began working in vaudeville.

Dave Apollon • The Man With The Mandolin: Complete Recordings 1930-1956 [2 CD Set] [1997] Acoustic Disc ACD-27

 

Scans of the 20-page booklet are available for download via email request!

This two-CD collection, compiled and produced by the king of "Dawg Music" (a kind of swinging bluegrass jazz), David Grisman, is filled with overlooked treasures by a mandolin genius. Apollon was a bit of a novelty act in his early years, and much of the first disc is a bit bogged down with some of the promotional and film work that showcased him as a rather clownish Hungarian. But by the second disc, his fingers fly freely on masterful renditions of such wide-ranging work as "Perfidia," "Zigeunerweisen," and "The Man I Love." A must for guitar and mandolin fans.