Mike Marshall Remembers Paul Binkley
Paul Binkley, highly respected and beloved member of the Mandolin community, has passed away. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in April of 2014 and died on November 12, 2014. Paul was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Modern Mandolin Quartet with Mike Marshall, Dana Rath, and John Imholtz (later members include Matt Flinner and and Adam Roszkiewicz). With groundbreaking musicality Paul brought mandolin music to a new level, inspiring instrumentalists worldwide.
Mandozine has published an excerpt of a letter that Mike Marshall wrote to his longtime friend and collaborator just before his passing:
“Paul, I just want to say how much our time that we worked together has meant to me. How much I learned from you about MUSIC, about arranging and playing and the history of classical music and interpretation and ALL of it.
How many great memories I will always cherish about our times together on the road and rehearsing and just being friends with that crazy band we had.
It was pretty damn fun time I must say, and you were always capable of keeping the vibe right where it needed to be no matter how wacky things may have gotten.
You are a soulful cat with a real depth to everything that I have seen you be a part of. You have dealt with people with respect and integrity and dignity.
I want to thank you for teaching me so much not only about music but also about how to behave with people and how to be a Real person yourself.
You are a good man with a gigantic heart and real soul.
Be well my friend and no matter how this fight you are going through turns out, just know that you have created a lot of goodness in this world and all of us will not forget how much you have given us and also what a damn good guitar and mandola picker you are.
Love and Be At Peace my brother.”
- Mike Marshall
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