After the playful rhythms of “Barnyard Funk” and a contemplative instrumental version of bluegrass gospel classic, “I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map,” mandolin master Mark Stoffel is back with a straight-ahead breakdown that’s as fast and flashy as a chef’s knife in the hands of a master — and that comparison, he confesses, is no accident.
Explaining the origins of his new Mountain Home Music Company single, “Slice and Dice,” the longest-tenured member of Chris Jones’ acclaimed Night Drivers recalls that “the tune came to me at a hotel room in Raleigh during the 2022 IBMA Fan Fest, and it immediately reminded me of ….. chopping veggies! So, from one hobby chef to all my hobby chef friends out there: This tune will inspire you to slice and dice fruit and vegetables much faster and more efficiently.”
“Seriously,” Stoffel adds, “it’s a fast and fun piece and what made it so special is Marc Pruett’s driving banjo, Malia Furtado’s fiery fiddle, and the pumping bass by Marshall Wilborn.” And indeed, “Slice and Dice”’s solos offer an almost breathless feeling, while the irresistible forward motion of its rhythm section — Wilborn, drummer Tony Creasman and guitarist Josh Morrison — infuses them with still more energy.
Noted among his friends and bandmates as a skilled and enthusiastic home baker and cook, Stoffel concludes with a confidence that “Slice and Dice” justifies, “I’ll be waiting for a call from The Food Channel. 😊”
Listen to "Slice and Dice" HERE.
