Announcing premiere jazz mandolinist Paul Glasse in a free mandolin workshop sponsored by Rigel Instruments, MandolinCafe.com, JazzMando, and the Sheldon Art Gallery, Tuesday, June 6th 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, Sheldon Art Gallery Auditorium, 12th & R St, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Attendence mandatory for Midwestern mandolinists, this event is worth scheduling your vacations around. Not only this rare opportunity for two hours in the morning with a true master, but a free two-hour concert with Glasse as guest artist fronting a terrific jazz big band later in the evening. Your only expense is getting there!

Lincoln is a lovely college-town, Nebraska's state capital, arts-friendly and home to JazzMando headquarters. Much to see within walking distance of the concert venue in the University of Nebraska campus, including the Art Gallery, Haymarket Shopping area (and food!), and the Jazz in June experience. Make it a long weekend and come early!

Print a PDF Flier

More information: Mandolin Cafe News

Artist website

Posted by Ted at 06:01 AM

March 28, 2006 | Docs Mandolins

The Jig is Up!

From the crazy but intensely creative mind of pioneer builder Thomas Durr (Doc's Mandolins ), a new way to tap tune mandolin tops and internal bracing prior to assembly. Part genius engineering, part Frankenstein contraption, Tom is constantly inventing and tweaking new equipment and blatant "heretical" processes to approach his unique jazz mandolin designs. (We're selfishly partial to builders daring enough to create these, and if you haven't checked out our Builders Spotlight, spend a little time there!)

Check out his latest apparatus: Deflection Jig

A concept borrowed from builder John Garrity, Tom explains his creation: "I made it for carved mando tops. Basically it allows you to carve the top and tonebars to a point that the top has flexibility yet strength... Not magic, but puts you in the ballpark. Then you tap tune from there. Had to do some major 'adapting' with shims and such to test this different style of top construction. But it worked well."

In regards to bracing, Durr is exploring "offset X" in attempts to free up the bass, circular to support the forces of a floating bridge, as well as add central mass. We hope to offer a review of his unique designs soon.

Stay tuned...

View image: ArchJazz Mandolin

Email Tom Durr

Posted by Ted at 03:10 PM

March 25, 2006 | Aaron Weinstein Jazz

Glad to see JazzMando friend Aaron Weinstein is making the news. From the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Aaron cut his teeth on Old Time fiddle music at age 8, winning the Illinois overall Fiddle Championship at age 13, the youngest ever. While in Chicago, he studied mandolin with jazz mandolin innovator Don Stiernberg, but now an undergraduate at the prestigious Berklee School of Music, he's preparing to carry on the tradition of the greats like jazz violinist, Joe Venuti and Stephane Grappelli and guitar master Bucky Pizzarelli. The latter of which who he's had the privilege of recording with.

We hope he's able to squeeze a little mandolin in, too!

Read the article: Jazz prodigy Aaron Weinstein revives swing violin tradition

Website: Aaron Weinstein

Posted by Ted at 02:07 PM

March 24, 2006 | New ODC

Spring is on the calendar now, and T-shirt weather is just around the corner. The JazzMando Merchandise Center has just reloaded on Bill and Django "Old Djoe Clark" shirts--even expanding the line into Longsleeve and Orange. Check these out: Old Djoe Clarke

Purchasing one of these not only helps promote the site but turns these small profits into our ability to continue to offer our great FREE downloads, including our recent ground-breaking SuperFFcP warm-up. Like some of these exercises and feel compelled to give a little something back? Buy a shirt or some strings and picks today with our new convenient online Shopping Cart.

Thanks for helping us out!

Posted by Ted at 08:55 PM

March 20, 2006 | Harmonius Wail

Congratulations to mandolinist Sims Delaney-Potthof & Harmonius Wail for their four awards at the Third Annual Madision Area Music Awards Ceremony, Saturday March 18, 2006. Categories include Best World Music Group, Best World Music Song (Joie du Vivre), Best Ensemble Vocal Group, and Best Instrumental Artist (Sims).

Wail's "gypsy swing with killer vocals" has been an upper Midwest regional favorite the past 17 years, recently treating the Orient to their unique stylings in a two-week Taiwan tour in October of 2004. Delaney-Potthof, professed reincarnation of the spirit of Jethro Burns (a student of the Master for 7 years) is a Berklee-bread professional and true pioneer of a mandolin-intense Gypsy jazz sound.

Harmonius Wail offers an extensive selection of music CD's on their website. If you like the music of artist like Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and Biréli Lagrene, get your credit card handy.

Award Listing: Madison Area Music Awards

Artist Website: Harmonius Wail

Posted by Ted at 01:41 PM

March 17, 2006 | Build Your Own

Ever want to build your own instrument? Aspiring Pacific Northwest builders, you've got an opportunity for some intense, hands-on experience with James Condino in a special 10-day course on mandolin building in May.

THE MODERN MANDOLIN:
HISTORY, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
James Condino
May 22-June 3
Oregon College of Art and Craft
Portland Oregon
1.800.390.0632 www.ocac.edu
Brochure (Page 20)

This ten-day intensive workshop will explore the history, design, and construction of the modern carved plate mandolin. There will be an analysis of the great instruments of the last 100 years; how form and function interact to produce good design; and hands-on teaching of the use of tools and techniques.

The goal is for each student to produce an instrument that is aesthetically pleasing, exhibits fine tonal sonority, and has a good feel for the player. Topics covered will include wood selection, instrument design, carving and voicing the top and back plates, jigs and construction methods, fretting and neck structure, professional setup techniques, and spirit varnish french polish finishing. Tools will range from individually designed hand tools and hide glues to modern machinery and jigs. each day will also include a historic "instrument of the day" for inspiration and analysis as well as several guest luthiers who will lead discussions in their varying fields of expertise.

James Condino has built 153 fine musical instruments in the last 20 years. He has worked in solo practice, built instruments for one of the leading production facilities, taught Lutherie from 1996-2000 at Oregon State University, and been published in American Lutherie magazine. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, where he builds mandolins, guitars, and double basses. In addition to building and teaching lutherie, he is writing a book on the history, design, and construction of the modern mandolin.

We're hoping to post a review very soon of an example of Condino's work. Until then take a look at some of his provocative work, and visit his Website.

More information:

Condino Mandolins:

View mandolin

Posted by Ted at 05:47 AM

March 16, 2006 | Lewis Scales

With some help from Terry Lewis, you can learn the mandolin fretboard through scales and modes.

Ultimately, the accomplished musician will have complete facility and understanding of the many modes and scales memorized and immediately at the fingertips. If you're new to this journey, check out Lewis' helpful (and thorough) encyclopedic, "Scales and Modes for the Mandolin."

What may be traded for gloss and multi-colored slick is more than made up in comprehensiveness. Terry covers them all, 29 scales and modes in all 12 keys, from Major to Super Locrian, and maps them out graphically on the mandolin fretboard in both standard notation and Tab.

Comb-bound (195 pages) and shipped to you, or print your own from a PDF download, contact Terry.

View: cover.

More information.

Posted by Ted at 06:17 AM

March 13, 2006 | Super FFcP!

Introducing: the mother of all warm-ups, the "Super FFcP!"

We've posted a seven minute routine incorporating the best of our FFcP principles into one complete, systematic exercise. Start your practice regimen with this, and in the following weeks and months, you'll be amazed at your own playing.

Bear in mind, this is for you intermediate and advanced players. If you are new to the FFcP approach, start in smaller bite-size chunks before trying to put it all together with this one routine.

Study and download the Super FFcP.

New to this? Read more on the Four Finger Closed Position patterns: FFcP

Pinky hurts? Remember, "that which fails to kill us, only makes us stronger."

Posted by Ted at 09:57 PM

March 12, 2006 | Signature Picks

New to the JazzMando Merchandise Center, Signature Series ProPlec JazzMando TriCorner Picks!

The durable, rigid material of the ProPlec pick yields a clean, pure attack because of a polished bevel found on more expensive custom-made picks, only at a fraction of their cost! Its 1.5 mm. gauge thickness gives you power and meaty control over rich, fluid tone. Gold hotstamp artwork on both sides gives the added bonus of secure grip.

We've sold almost 2,000 of the 351 guitar shape pick in our Merchandise Center since these first came out, but requests for the larger 346 TriCorner size could no longer be ignored. Mandolinists fond of the Dawg, Goldengate, or Wegen pick demanded the larger surface for control, heavier weight, and the availability of three points of pick articulation.

This shape and Space Age ProPlec material are a winning combination and must be experienced firsthand to appreciate. These are available in small sample package quantities (4, 10, 24, 48), or just order one of the Jupiter Silkweave cloths and we'll throw in a couple for you to try. (JM11 strings come with a free sample, too!)

Even better news: try our new convenient online Shopping Cart for 24 hour access to your picking needs. (Domestic USA only; please inquire for shipping outside US.)

View: JazzMando Signature Series Picks

Shop online and read more here.

Posted by Ted at 07:28 PM

March 10, 2006 | Jethro's Birthday

Just in time to celebrate Jethro Burns' Birthday (born March 10, 1920, Knoxville, TN), some great reading about his protege, Chicago jazz master Don Stiernberg.

Read: Article

What great fortune for Don to early in his great career, forsake the bassoon for the mandolin! The world is a far better place for it. ("Cherokee" just wouldn't sound the same on a double reed...)

Catch Don with John Carlini in concert Saturday, March 11 at the Harper College Theater in Palatine. (Can you keep a secret? Go and you'll probably get a sneak peak of new material from their upcoming CD release!)

Concert Details

Posted by Ted at 04:40 PM

March 07, 2006 | Eight String Tolstoy

Always on the edge of innovation, Jame Masefield (Jazz Mandolin Project) tackles multi-media with the help of a grant from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment of Arts in "How Much Land Does a Man Need?."

Last year, while on tour, Masefield gathered video footage to use in his multi-media adaptation of the classic Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's novel. This piece will make it's debut at Burlington's FlynnSpace Theater on April 8th and 9th, 2006.

Masefield will perform on mandolin with Mad Dog (Mike Mavridoglou), flugelhorn and synthesizer, Michael Obrien, upright bass and Sean Dixon, drums. Mad Dog lives in Cincinnati and has played an important multi-instrumentalist role in JMP for about four years now. Michael Obrien has just moved from Minneapolis to NYC and has toured for over a year with JMP and Sean Dixon, from NYC has also been with JMP for over a year.

Jamie notes, "This is the result of wanting to do a multi-media project for years. [It's] a combination of music and the video and classic literature. My challenge has been to create a program where the story is properly enhanced by the music and visuals without drawing too much attention to themselves. It's a delicate balance that has been fascinating to deal with. It's a modern interpretation of an old story and a whole new field of expression for me."

Tickets

Article

Posted by Ted at 05:38 AM

March 06, 2006 | Samois

They're out and our response: magnifique! The new Paris Swing Mandolins have hit the street, and we must say, taking into account the economic realities of their "accessible" street price ($600+/-), these promise exceptional potential.

Funny how traditional mandolinists can be; we predict a completely polar reaction. You will either love them or hate them. We fall in the category of the former, and have officially adopted a Samois as own of our own. Viva la difference!

Nice going designer Greg Rich ! You've got a real winner, here!

Check our pictures and read the review.

Posted by Ted at 12:41 PM

March 04, 2006 | Berklee Mandolin

The mandolin is now a Principal Instrument at the Berklee College of Music!

You can learn the mandolin inside and out: chords, inversions, scales, etc. and apply your knowledge to whatever form of music you choose to play, from Jazz to Bluegrass to Celtic to Bach to Rock. Your private lessons would be with Professor John McGann.

A JazzMando favorite, McGann is a prolific author (Mel Bay Publications), educator, arranger, and veteran performer. currently a regular with the Wayfaring Strangers. A master of guitar, mandolin, dobro, and octave mandolin, he was U.S. National Mandolin Champion 1986, Winfield, Kansas. Of course, prestigious Berklee is world renown as one of (if not THE) top jazz institutions in the country. One more step for the credibility and viability of mandolin in the jazz realm. Congrats, John!

More information

John McGann website

More chat on the Mandolin Cafe

Posted by Ted at 12:53 PM

March 02, 2006 | Jake Uke

Doing things with an instrument nobody ever dreamed of before. Jake Shimabukuro is one of those pioneers, and though his ax is not a mandolin, his creative Ukulele playing is an inspiration and a beacon of light for those who dare to defy convention. We had the privilege of witnessing Jake and veteran string superpowers, Mike Marshall (Mandolin, Mandocello, Guitar) and Darol Anger (Violin, "Chin-cello") in our hometown. Truly a taste of eclectic acoustic heaven!

The trio wowed all witnesses, creating a virtual symphony of music with only three small wooden instruments.

View pictures of their visit: Jake & Co

See Jake's legendary internet video

Posted by Ted at 10:58 AM