Renowned Traverse City mandolinist Don Julin’s new super-trio with bassist Tom Knific and guitarist Hayes Griffin has upcoming shows at The Alluvion, The Ark and beyond. The back story at Local Spins.
Trio ’25: From left, Don Julin, Hayes Griffin and Tom Knific. (Courtesy Photo)
Don Julin loves making music.
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The well-traveled Traverse City mandolin and banjo player also loves taking his music to audiences. Those are the primary reasons behind his new Trio ’25.
“I prefer playing different tours and places. A lot of guys don’t want to do that,” he says.
Two notable exceptions are the other members of Trio 25, bassist Tom Knific and guitarist Hayes Griffin. “If it was a one-off, I’d get local players,” Julin says of the group’s upcoming nine-date tour. “These guys are monster players.”
And like Julin, they like to take their act on the road.
The band’s first show is Thursday in North Carolina, followed by a date at The Alluvion in Traverse City on Saturday (Nov. 15). (Get tickets, $25 in advance, online here.)
The group also plays a house concert at the Grand Marais West Bay House in the Upper Peninsula on Sunday (Nov. 16), the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant on Nov. 19 (details here) and Northfield Musical Instruments in Marshall on Nov. 20. Following dates in Ohio and Indiana, the tour concludes at The Ark in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25 (details here).
‘Weather Channel-grass’: The trio plays a mix of Americana, bluegrass, jazz and more. (Courtesy Photo)
Julin says the music they will be playing is a blend of Americana, bluegrass, jazz and whatever else finds its way into the mix.
“I call it Weather Channel-grass,” he says, noting how the Weather Channel often uses instrumental music as background. “Pat Metheny, high-quality artists, but music that was easy to listen to. I’ve taken music associated with bluegrass and softened the edge with jazz and classical techniques.”
Much of the repertoire for the tour will be drawn from Julin’s 2024 album, “Fractured Fiddle Tunes,” in which he reimagined traditional fiddle music in a jazzier vein. He says the group will also perform additional material, including originals by members of the trio. (Browse down to listen to a track from “Fractured Fiddle Tunes.”)
Griffin is based in Columbus, Ohio. His 2020 solo album, “Midwestern Swing” topped charts and paid homage to the golden era of American country and Western Swing. He shares weekly videos on bluegrass guitar, Western Swing and music theory on YouTube.
“I worked with Hunter at quite a few music camps. He plays guitar and mandolin. He’s a fabulous player. We clicked,” says Julin. “Hayes is an amazing bluegrass musician but studied at New England Conservatory of Music.”
Knific has performed with legends such as Dave Brubeck, Randy Brecker and Michel Legrand. A recipient of the Down Beat Achievement in Jazz Education award, Knific has taught at prestigious institutions worldwide, including Western Michigan University and the China Conservatory in Beijing. He lives in Kalamazoo.
“I’ve known of Tom for years and years,” says Julin, mentioning his work as an instructor at Interlochen and Western Michigan University. “I saw he retired. I always thought of him as a sophisticated jazz and classical player.”
But it wasn’t until he saw him playing with a gypsy jazz group that Julin realized he could be a felicitous choice to hold down the bottom end with his music. “He was killing it on bass,” he says.
“These guys are monsters,” Julin continues. “It’s really fun to have players of that caliber play gospel/fiddle tunes.”
The versatile Julin, who is accomplished on numerous string instruments, is packing light for this tour. “I’ll play mandolin, maybe mandola, but not banjo in this group,” he says.
Calling the trio new is a bit of a misnomer, as the three musicians previously played together in a quartet with Dobro player Joe Wilson. But working strictly as a trio is a new concept.
Julin — who regularly performs at The Alluvion with the “groovy jazz” outfit Big Fun — says continuing to challenge himself by reimagining his compositions for different configurations keeps his playing fresh. “I keep moving forward, trying something different. I have a wide palette.”
Get information on upcoming shows here, with details about Julin and his “Mandolins Heal the World” instruction courses online at donjulin.com.
LISTEN: Don Julin, “Twilight Anesthesia” (from “Fractured Fiddle Tunes”)
Big Fun: A Michigan super-group at The Alluvion in Traverse City. (Courtesy Photo)
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