Biography

Acclaimed for his polished style and compositional depth, mandolinist Mark Stoffel has already released two distinctive originals (“Curious Times” and “Barnyard Funk”) since his last full-length project, Coffee And Cake (2020). Now the long-time member of Chris Jones & the Night Drivers is back with a third single, and this time, it’s a glistening instrumental version of the beloved bluegrass gospel classic, “I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map.”

First recorded by its writer, Don Reno, and his longtime musical partner, Red Smiley, in 1952, “I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map” is among the most widely recorded numbers in the bluegrass canon. But though it’s a long time favorite, it’s been offered only once before in an instrumental version, by the award-winning resonator guitar trio of Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes. But where that all-star group served up a legato reading that featured only their three instruments, Stoffel has opted for a fuller, if no less relaxed take that backs his deliciously elegant approach with an impeccable rhythm section and a couple of well-known friends — including, in a fitting nod to the song’s legacy, a return appearance by Ickes.

Says Stoffel, “Years ago, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers were booked to play a Sunday morning show at the Blueberry Music Festival in Stony Plain, Alberta. I suggested we add ‘I’m Using My Bible for a Road Map’ to the setlist because I just love the simple beauty of this Reno & Smiley classic. I was lucky enough to record my version with Chris Luquette on guitar, Ross Sermons on Bass, Tony Creasman on drums, Rob Ickes on Dobro, Niall Murphy on Fiddle, and Alan Bibey on mandolin. Alan contributed a super tasteful mandolin twin part on the last go-around of the tune. Check it out — I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it!”

About Mark Stoffel
Originally from Munich, Germany, Mark Stoffel spent literally decades traversing between two continents before finally settling down in Southern Illinois in 2001 with his wife Mary and his children, Finn and Oliver. Sealing his decision to make the United States his permanent home, he became a citizen in 2016.

A self-described bluegrass music “addict,” he was introduced to the music in 1979, when as a teenager, he wanted a ukulele for Christmas and was mistakenly given a mandolin instead. The flub turned into a virtue, as he parlayed a classic mandolin instructional book; occasional exposure to bluegrass through radio and concerts by touring American musicians; and accumulated experience in folk, rock and bluegrass bands into a lifelong artistic pursuit. During this time, he began to connect with American artists, helping to arrange tour dates and providing hospitality—including to the artist who would become his future employer, Chris Jones. As he spent more time in the United States, his tasteful approach to playing, growing expertise in sound engineering and supportive harmony vocal abilities earned him increased attention — first in regional acts, then with Jones’ singer/songwriter wife, Sally Jones, and finally with Jones himself, whose Night Drivers Mark joined around the time of the band’s 2009 recording, Cloud Of Dust.

Today his tasteful mandolin performances can be heard on countless recordings, including his first solo release, One-O-Five, and a string of Chris Jones and the Night Drivers projects, including Run Away Tonight (2015), Made To Move (2017) and the most recent, The Choosing Road (2019). “Mark is one of the most musical mandolin players I’ve ever played with,” says Jones. “ Mandolin players are really impressed with his playing everywhere we go.” Yet despite his passion for bluegrass, Stoffel confesses ironically that he is highly allergic to — yes, really — Kentucky Bluegrass.